Sustainability Action Plan
Introduction for Parents and Carers
At Ravenbank, we believe that preparing children for a changing world means not only providing them with the knowledge and skills they need, but also modelling the values and behaviours that will help create a sustainable future. Our school has a unique and important reason for making sustainability a core priority — our site has historically experienced frequent flooding. In 2024, we were proud to be awarded a Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) grant by the Department for Education (DfE) to develop long-term, environmentally responsible solutions to manage flooding and improve biodiversity.
Sustainability is not a stand-alone project here — it is woven into our curriculum, daily operations, and school culture. We want every child to be an active citizen who understands environmental challenges, takes meaningful action, and feels empowered to make a difference.
Our approach is also closely linked to our work on pupil leadership, ensuring that children’s voices and ideas are at the heart of decision-making. Through leadership roles, whole-school projects, and pupil-led initiatives, our young people will be instrumental in shaping a greener, more resilient school environment.
Our Sustainability Lead is Mrs Jill Sach, who coordinates our work in this area and ensures it aligns with national DfE guidance and our own school priorities.
Our key target is to embed sustainability as a core principle across the curriculum, operations, and school culture, preparing pupils for a changing world.
Key Performance Indicators: | A sustainability strategy is published in Year 1, with clear actions for curriculum, operations, and pupil leadership. Sustainability concepts are embedded in curriculum maps for 100% of year groups by the end of Year 2. At least two whole-school sustainability projects are led by pupils each year (e.g. energy saving, recycling, biodiversity). School operational decisions (e.g. procurement, energy use) show measurable progress toward reducing environmental impact. Pupil voice surveys show 80%+ of pupils can explain the school’s sustainability commitments and actions.
|
Strategic Goals cover: | Decarbonisation (waste reduction) Adaptation & Resilience (flood mitigation) Improving Environment & Biodiversity (increasing the number of natural habitats which encourage biodiversity) Climate Education (Global Goals incorporated into the curriculum) |
How we will achieve this: | Incorporating sustainability themes into lessons in every year group through the Global Goals. Linking OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) to sustainability education. Developing our outdoor spaces through the SUDS project to improve biodiversity and flood resilience. Creating pupil-led sustainability teams to drive projects such as recycling, energy saving, and biodiversity monitoring. Hosting regular events and workshops for parents, carers, and the community to share learning and progress. Cut down on paper and food waste.
|
Year 1 Autumn Actions: | Launch our Sustainability Strategy led by Mrs Jill Sach. Introduce pupils, staff, and parents to OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning). Begin planning our SUDS project with pupil leadership input. Baseline pupil voice survey on sustainability, flooding, and biodiversity. Increase staff and pupil awareness of waste through assemblies and training.
|
Year 1 Spring Actions: | First phase of OPAL development wildlife zones, planting and habitat creation. Start SUDS project works – involving pupils in design and planting. First whole-school pupil-led sustainability project launched. Pupil leadership 'Waste Watchers' campaign to monitor and reduce food waste in the dining hall.
|
Year 1 Summer Actions: | Outdoor Learning Week linking OPAL, SUDS, and curriculum topics. Pupil leadership teams present their sustainability projects to families in our annual OPAL afternoon. Pupil leadership 'Waste Watchers' review schools use of paper and suggest strategies to reduce waste. Evaluate Year 1 progress and share updates with parents.
|