At DBJA and as part of REAch2 we are committed to revolutionising our approach to sustainability. By empowering our children to become environmental ambassadors, we will ignite their potential to effect positive change. Our objectives are clear:
· Empower all our children with the knowledge to comprehend environmental sustainability and empower them to champion change.
· By 2027, significantly diminish our carbon footprint.
· Implement environmental initiatives that champion, conserve, and enrich local biodiversity.
To achieve these goals, we will:
· Ensure each school devises a sustainability action plan, placing ecological literacy and environmental sustainability at the core of its curriculum.
· Aid all REAch2 schools in attaining nationally recognised Eco-Awards by fostering rich biodiverse environments.
· Engage all our children in community endeavours to foster positive environmental action in their surroundings.
· Diminish our carbon footprint by enhancing infrastructure and embracing environmentally conscious procurement processes.
· Invest in our staff to obtain accreditation in environmental sustainability.
· Embrace various activities that reconnect our children with nature, nurturing their stewardship of the environment.”
Our sustainability story
At DBJA we are a caring school, we care about our children, our school community and our planet. We encourage a pupil-led approach in order to foster pro-environmental behaviour. Through our curriculum we aim to create a generation of leaders who act responsibly and strive for a future where people and nature thrive together. Through our Learning Values of Respect, Resilience and Kindness we will behave mindfully ensuring that we evaluate our behaviour through the lens of sustainability. We know that climate change is an issue which will impact on this and future generations, and we know that we have a responsibility to take action and create positive change.
The UN’s IPCC (2023) warns about the consequences of inaction in response to human-induced climate change.
The DfE reports children and young people are worried about climate change. Pupil and Staff voice at our school mirrors this showing a desire to do more, know more and live in a more sustainable way.
94% of our children think all schools should be doing things to help the environment and 91% of children want to get involved in projects to support the environment.
100% of our staff think that all schools should be doing things to help the environment and 100% of staff think that all schools should be encouraging and helping children and the wider school community to do things to help the environment.
We have been working with Climate Adapted Pathways in Education and Climate Wise Schools to ensure our approach to sustainability is robust and evidence based. We are a REAch2 Pilot School for Sustainability and our journey has just begun.
Over time our school community will be able to talk articulately about the impact of climate change. We will use a strong evidence base to develop strategies to help us reduce our carbon footprint. We will demonstrate a deep understanding of what we can do to bring change and we will have clear ideas of what we can do to adapt and mitigate. Children will leave our school with the knowledge, based on robust evidence, that they need to make informed decisions about their own actions. They will be confident that we are taking collective action to protect the environment. The school community will demonstrate strong sustainability behaviours.
More content coming soon!
Want to become an Eco-Factivist? Check out these great websites for children…
National Geographic Kids
Jam-packed full of amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Click here to visit.
WWF
Lots of resources for all ages. From rainforests to rivers, climate change to space, there is lots to inspire you to learn about our precious planet. Just click here.
BBC Bitesize
Delve into learning about our world, the weather and the oceans with this well-known resource. Click here to watch on iPlayer.
The Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts is a collection of individual local charities that work to protect our environment and make nature part of our lives. Their main site has some great webcams set up, allowing you to watch wildlife in action. Just click here.
Discover Wildlife
Find out about all you need to know about wildlife. There’s an enormous list of species you can livestream, including eagles, owls, puffins, hummingbirds, elephants and manatees. Just click here.
Natural History Museum
Everything you would expect from this amazing museum! Check out the Activities for all section for some fun things to engage in. Just click here.
ZSL Zoo School
ZSL is London’s oldest and best known zoo! Check out the free Zoo Explorers Magazine to download, aimed at 3 to 10 year olds. Click here for more.
Young Persons Trust for the Environment
The Young People’s Trust for the Environment is a charity that was set up to encourage young people’s understanding of the environment. Click here for more
Want to Go Greener at home? Check out these sites with handy tips for being more mindful at home.
Our sustainability links
We have established links with the following organisations who help support our sustainability priorities:
- City Harvest– who generously donate food to us weekly to fill our community fridge Food charity – City Harvest
- School Food Matters– who help us understand how to reduce food waste and learn about growing and harvesting our own food through the Young Marketeers project School Food Matters | School Food Matters
- Make Your Mark– who are helping us cook in our classrooms
- The Royal Society– who have supported the school with funding to develop a biodiversity area Welcome to the Royal Society | Royal Society
- STEM Ambassadors– who are working with us to raise awareness about biodiversity Home – STEM Ambassador Hub London (londonstemambassadors.org.uk)
- LBBD Recycling Centre Recycling centres | London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (lbbd.gov.uk)
- Climate Wise Schools and Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (CAPE) Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (capealliance.org.uk)
- Learning Through Landscapes Outdoor Learning and Play Charity | Learning through Landscapes (ltl.org.uk)