Sustainability

Intent
At St. Michael in the Hamlet, sustainability is central to our commitment to placing pupils at the heart of all we do and preparing them for a rapidly changing world. Guided by our SMITH values — Safe, Motivational, Inclusive, Team-focused and Happy — we aim to create a secure and supportive environment where children feel reassured, hopeful and empowered when learning about global challenges.

We recognise that our planet and its communities are under increasing threat, and we are committed to helping children understand these issues in an age-appropriate, balanced and inclusive way. Through inspirational and innovative teaching, we aim to provide pupils with a proactive approach to sustainability, enabling them to explore the impact of climate change and environmental issues on people around the world, while developing the confidence, compassion and responsibility to be part of positive change.

Impact
Sustainability is to be thoughtfully woven through our rich and broad-based curriculum, supporting pupils’ academic, personal and social development. Through carefully planned lessons, thoughtful discussion and purposeful real-life experiences, children will be encouraged to explore environmental and global issues without fear, developing reassurance, hope and a sense of agency, believing that their actions matter. Our approach will support pupils in making informed and responsible choices, whilst fostering empathy, compassion and respect for people and communities around the world.

By promoting critical thinking, collaboration and reflection, our curriculum will nurture pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural and philosophical development. As a result, children will leave St. Michael in the Hamlet feeling empowered, resilient and optimistic, equipped with the confidence and responsibility to contribute positively to a sustainable future for their local community and the wider world.

The Sustainability Lead and the School’s Business Manager have worked with Let’s Go Zero! to develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) for our school. This is being implemented in partnership with the Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team, and will be reviewed on an annual basis.

As part of this, the school is attempting to calculate its carbon count.

Subject Leads in Science, Geography and PSHEE  ensure that learning about sustainability is incorporated into our curriculum across the school. Please follow the links above to find further details.

The Sustainability Lead involves children from Key Stages 1 and 2 in this plan, via involvement in the school’s Eco Team. They have their own Eco Team page on the school’s website to update the school and wider community about their activities. They focus on 3 areas of sustainability annually, and have achieved the Eco School’s Green Flag with merit, and Plastic Free School’s accreditation.