"You are never too small to make a difference"

Greta Thunberg

Eco Sustainability Commitments

Layton Primary School recognises the global challenges associated with solving climate change and environmental sustainability. This statement sets out the school’s commitment to modernising its infrastructure and business operations so that our current and future generations of students walk in to a more sustainable future as a result of all members of the school, both staff and pupils, being more environmentally conscious about their actions now.

Through our ambitious curriculum, we will continue to teach students about the devastating effects of human activity on the earth and its biodiversity, such as forest fires, deforestation and the use of fossil fuels. Furthermore, pupils will be made aware and actively partake in actions they can take to help combat global issues such as global warming, carbon emissions and non-recycled waste.

Across school, both staff and children will be expected to recycle their plastic and paper waste separately to their general waste; reuse plastic water bottles daily and to help reduce the amount of waste they use or create. Children should encourage others, including adults and vice versa, to go by the mantra ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’.

Similarly, our school will deploy energy-saving lighting throughout the building, whereby lights will work on a timed sensor system so that all energy is used efficiently with very little wastage. As an Apple Distinguished School, we use a lot of technology as teaching and learning tools. Both staff and children will be responsible for using devices, especially charging ports only when necessary.

Through the teaching of underdeveloped countries, all children will have a heightened understanding of the value and privilege of clean water. Taps and water fountains across the school will work on a timed push system so that water is conserved rather than over-consumed.

With a school full of diverse students, we prioritise our food being suitable for all, regardless of dietary requirements and choices, promoting healthy options as well as meat alternatives daily.

Moreover, we appreciate the journey of the food we consume, therefore actively choosing to purchase red tractor-certified products to ensure quality and fairness to farmers and animals alike.

We are determined to reduce our food waste further by being more meticulous and thoughtful in the amounts of produce we buy, as well as opting for a compost approach when available.

Here at Layton, we are lucky to enjoy such a vast outdoor space rich in greenery and a diverse selection of plants to add to the biodiversity of the school. We strive to expand different habitats within our school grounds to support the wildlife our students study within their Science lessons through classification, life cycles and evolution.

Based upon the above core strands of sustainable change and improvement, as a school we have devised an action plan which we are committed to upholding to secure a greener future.