Sustainability
It's the little things...
Here are some of the small changes and actions Pinner Wood are taking to support being more sustainable and environmentally friendly in our practices.
Using Terra Cycle to recycle old pens, crisp and chocolate wrappers
Recycling old printer cartridges
Developing the Walking Bus to promote sustainable transport
Promoting using old or re-used paper when printing and photocopying
Reviewing the amount and cause of food waste, using compost to help reduce this
Establishing balance bike, bike and scooter training in school to provide children with more sustainable ways of getting to school
All children across the school having outdoor learning lessons to promote understanding of nature and biodiversity
Working with the Earth Friends to remind out school community about saving energy and water
Don't forget to bring in your recycling from home - we are collecting crisp packets, old pens/highlighters/felt tips and chocolate, biscuit and sweet wrappers.
Download and print our Energy Eagles saving check list here to.
Green Flag Eco Award
We are delighted that we have been awarded the Green Flag Eco Award with Distinction! Our Earth Friends worked exceptionally hard and the reviewers commented on our amazing committee, the whole school links we are making to Sustainability, our celebrations of key days, our fabulous outdoor learning, the links with other schools and organisations that we have made and the way we have raised awareness, created a positive impact and changed behaviours! Well done everyone.
Eco Refill Shop
We are delighted to run our own Eco Refill shop - planned, led and opened by some of our Year 5 and 6 pupils and passionate Earth Friends group. The shop opens at least once a month and is a chance for our families and local community to purchase refills of soap, hand wash, shampoo and condition, body wash and washing up liquid. Families have to bring their own bottle or container to refill with the aim of the shop to be reducing plastic waste and pollution.
Sustainability Star of the Week
As part of our celebration assembly each week, one child will be awarded the 'Sustainability Star of the Week'. This can be for their interest in sustainability at Pinner Wood, their actions, for being an active member of Earth Friends or for a sustainability initiative they have come up with. Every winner will receive a plant for their class which they will have responsibility of caring for!
Awards and Achievements
We now have our GOLD TFL Award valid until 2028! See our TFL page for more information.
Woodland Trust Platinum Award
Eco School Green Flag with distinction (2 years in a row)
RHS Gardening Award Level 5
Pinner Wood Sustainability Pledge
We worked as a whole school to think of aspects of sustainability we can embed and use in our learning and for our school. Using ideas from every class, we created a Pinner Wood Sustainability Pledge.
Sustainability in the Curriculum
Unique and fulfilling opportunities for outdoor learning are embedded throughout the curriculum to allow for stimulating and enjoyable learning experiences. There are also links made to Sustainability within the inside classroom learning. These include:
Focus library area sharing green, recycling and sustainability texts and stories
Using whiteboards within learning to reduce amount of printing
Using natural materials to support learning, for example, conkers for counting
Links within Science learning to materials, sustainable travel, plant detectives, wildlife habitats and growing for biodiversity
Using See Saw where possible to share images and learning
Junk modelling music instruments
Reuse and share musical instruments
Reusing and recycling old and unwanted clothing to make cushions as part of DT projects
Using donations and recycled activities as part of Values Times
Scan the QR code below to find out more about Sustainability across the Curriculum.
Sustainability Week at Pinner Wood
Sustainability Week 2023 - 2024
Monday 6th November - Friday 10th November 2023
Pinner Wood celebrated an amazing Sustainability Week. The message was 'Voice, Action, Change' which allowed children children, staff and the wider school community to come together to make a difference. There were a number of activities during the week including external speakers talking about Biodiversity at home, outside activities making a bug house and harvesting our school pumpkins to make soup, reviewing the energy wastage in our building, a no paper day, recycling and every child making a Sustainability Pledge. Each class used their oracy skills to report, debate or share their findings on one of the Global Goals, such as promoting sustainable travel to school. Our Year 6 pupils created detailed ‘Change Speeches’ about a sustainability issue, which they will share with families and our community later in the year. The week ended with an impressive ‘Trashion Show’ showing the creativity and green minded nature of our impressive pupils and a SWISH Swapping event where families could donate unwanted clothes, toys and books to swap.
Sustainability Week 2024 - 2025
Monday 27th - Friday 31st January
Pinner Wood celebrated their second Sustainability Week with the topic 'Let's Go Zero', supporting our climate action plan alongside working towards our Eco Schools award, Green Tree Schools Award and TFL Accreditation. Every class was giving a focus including nature, transport, energy and waste, alongside a number of whole school activities including parking patrol, refill cup stations, walking past and a swapping event. The week was a brilliant success from measuring food waste, writing persuasive letters, wildlife spotting, taking the walking bus, exploring perspectives outside, going to the drinks refill station, pedestrian training, litter picking, discussing clean air, exploring transport issues and the parking patrol!
A brilliant week exploring, showcasing and sharing knowledge. It is very clear that the pupils and families at Pinner Wood are all making a difference.
Sustainability Week 2025 - 2026
Monday 26th - Friday 30th January
Our third Sustainability Week and it was another brilliantly successful one! This year we partnered with our food catering company - HCL - to explore the issue of food waste. Across the school, children explore food waste in school, composting, food waste in the supermarket and at home. Children weighed food waste from school and explored the reasons behind this and created actions which they shared with HCL.
Alongside this, our energy monitors checked for energy loss across the school, there was parking patrol, recycling at our local supermarket, a book swap, recycling old clothes and a refill your cup station.
Another super week making a different and working with our school community to ensure the message of sustainability continues to be shared across Pinner Wood!
Eco Code
Our Earth Friends wrote an Eco code, to go alongside our Sustainability pledge, which we will be displayed in the outdoor area. We wanted to make this more accessible for our school community to access.
