Sustainability Strategy

The Department for Education (DfE) expects all schools in England to have a designated sustainability lead and a climate action plan in place by the start of the 2025–26 academic year, as part of its wider Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. This non-statutory guidance encourages schools to adopt a whole-setting approach to sustainability, integrating environmental responsibility into leadership, curriculum, operations, and community engagement. Please see the file below which outlines our Peak Edge Sustainability Strategy.

To us, sustainability means meeting our needs today without harming future generations. It relies on three connected pillars — Environment, Economy, and Equity — known as the Three Es. True sustainability happens when all three are in balance. The infographic below explains more about our interpretation of the Three Es in educational settings.

Let’s Go Zero

We’ve taken the Let’s Go Zero pledge, declaring our aim to become zero carbon by 2030. We’re joining schools across the UK in this national campaign to show the overwhelming support for zero carbon schools, and inviting government and local councils to work with us to reach this goal.

We know that schools can be the trailblazers for their community, responding to young people’s calls for action.  In fact, they can inspire whole communities to tackle the climate crisis. In the coming pivotal ‘climate decade,’ we will be part of Let’s Go Zero’s national network of schools and sustainability, sharing information about how to reach zero carbon, and working with local councils and government to make it happen.

We’re committing to cut carbon in a number of key areas. Here are some of the things we’ve already done / are planning to do:

• Calculate our school’s carbon footprint and take part in Count Your Carbon month.

• Optimise our settings to ensure our heating and hot water systems have efficient timings and temperatures set.

• Take part in a Switch Off campaign.

• Separate food waste bins around school.

• Educate pupils about reuse, reduce and recycle.

• Provide a uniform exchange shop.

• Optimise active travel (alongside Modeshift STARS).

• Development of our outside spaces to develop a connectedness to nature.

By joining the Let’s Go Zero campaign and committing to becoming a school, we’re taking a positive step on a local level to help combat the climate issues we all face globally. It sends a strong message to our whole school and community that together we can safeguard our planet for future generations.

Find out more about the Let’s Go Zero campaign here: https://letsgozero.org/