0590 Loddon Reach June 20 64pp Interactive) - Flipbook - Page 39
A healthy and sustainable future for everyone
A
local school is leading the way with its
sustainability and ecology studies. Shinfield
St Mary’s Junior School started their journey
after one of their pupils noticed the inequalities in
society; in particular homelessness. The school set
about trying to address these issues and find ways
in which they could help. The children are taught
lessons in sustainability and ecology as part of
an embedded focus on the world and our place
within it. The school uses a number of different
approaches to achieve these goals.
Raised beds
The school installed 24 raised beds to accommodate
the growing of a vast array of different fruits and
vegetables. It is a completely child-led exercise,
with children designing the beds, germinating the
seeds, planting them out, caring for them and
finally harvesting the produce. Once the produce
has been harvested, the children sell it to members
of our community; with all proceeds going to the
homeless charity Launchpad.
38
School projects
Each year-group has its own sustainable project
to work on throughout the academic year. The
year six children are building a stream to increase
biodiversity within the school. Year five are busy
building a butterfly and bee garden, year four are
collecting plastic bottles to build a greenhouse out
of them, and the year three pupils are building a
rainbow sensory garden.
Biodome
In 2018, the school
went further with its
growing
ambitions
and installed an ecofriendly
classroom
with a difference.
Children are now
able to grow produce
inside a solar-powered
biodome which has
been installed within
the school grounds. Known in scientific circles as
a closed ecological system, the biodome provides
a completely self-sustaining method of growing
food. Water from two fish-ponds is piped inside
the dome to water the plants, with waste
produced by the fish providing
much-needed
nutrients. The plants then act as a filter and
remove the harmful chemicals, enabling clean
water to be piped back into the ponds.
Tree planting
The planting of over 300 trees on the school
grounds is helping to reduce pollution, improving
air quality and providing vital habitats to animals.
Children from all classes have been given the
chance to plant a tree and leave their very own
lasting legacy.
Carbon neutral
In November 2019, Shinfield were awarded
carbon neutral gold status by One Carbon World
(a global resource partner of United Nations). As a
result, the hard work of the school pupils and staff
was showcased at the UN Climate Conference
in Madrid (COP 25). The school was praised for
its
sustainability,
reducing
waste
and
increasing
recycling
rates.
Shinfield have their
own
composting
facilities and a
large worm farm
to deal with all
compostable waste.
They intend to
further reduce their
carbon footprint by
retrofitting
solar
panels.
Community help
All of these projects have been aided by fantastic
support from the school’s pupils, teachers,
headteacher, PTA and the local community.
Particular thanks go to: Winnersh Garden
Centre, Shinfield Parish Council, Bloor Homes,
RS components, SAGHA, Dobbies, M&S and
Prudential.
Matt Knight
I am very proud of everything we have achieved at
Shinfield St Mary’s CE Junior School in the last two
years. From the tiny seed of a child being upset by
seeing a homeless person, to raised beds, to the
bio-dome, to carbon-neutral status and onward,
we have been led by Matt Knight in the role we
created for him and which he has made his own –
that of Leader of Ecology and Sustainability – into
a vision of the kind of world that will be healthy,
sustainable and caring, for our children, and for
our children’s children.
Sue Runciman, Headteacher
39