Climate Change and the Environment
Climate Action at Sithney
Sithney School are proud receivers of a clutch of awards valuing the school’s commitment to raising awareness and knowledge on climate change and providing practical steps to improve the environment and promote sustainability.
Teaching staff at Sithney have undergone climate change training and development to better inform pupils of the science around climate change and have achieved the educate Global Bronze Award. The eduCCate Global Bronze Award is the first bold step in building a coherent whole school approach to climate change that is designed to build schools’ confidence and capacity to deliver high impact solution focused climate change education. Schools who undertake the eduCCate Global Awards program are committed to being a leader in their community, and to fueling climate action.
“We are so pleased that Sithney School chose to work with eduCCate Global as they embark on this critical journey. We know from experience that a step by step approach helps teachers build their confidence and capacity to be allies for students as they face the uncertainty of our climate challenged world and prepare for their futures.” said Melanie Harwood, co-Founder of the not-for-profit eduCCate Global.
Sithney School has now built on the foundation provided through the educate Global Bronze Award to elect an Eco-Council of school pupils who have created an action plan which provides practical solutions that all of the school community have got involved in to improve the environment. One of the actions involved the planting of 150 trees on the school field and over 50 parents, pupils and staff supported this event. For this and the additional activities by the school community the school has just received the Woodland Trust Bronze award and the Eco-Schools Green Flag award with Merit.
“It’s great that you are involving the whole school in choosing the Eco-Committee and that the children are ‘having a go’ at taking the minutes as Eco-Schools is all about empowering young people!” Eco-Schools then go onto say, “It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to review your Eco-Schools Green Flag application - you are most definitely a worthy Eco-Schools with merit Green Flag Award winner!”
The school is committed to creating a long-term and sustainable approach to both the teaching and learning of connecting with nature and the outdoors in addition to enhancing the environment in which the school is sited. This ongoing commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of pupils through outdoor learning was recognised through Sithney School successfully renewing its Healthy Schools Award.
“I can see you have put a lot of work into it and that the school has implemented lots of great ideas to achieve sharing these important health promotion topics. I particularly like everything you are doing to promote physical activity, wild tribe, wheel Wednesdays and your after-school activities sound brilliant.” Kate Laity CYP Health Improvement Practitioner (Cornwall Health Schools Award).
Matt Birchall, Climate Literacy Lead Teacher and Coordinator of PE and Outdoor Learning goes on to say, “Its been fantastic to be recognised by so many outside agencies as a school that has an outstanding commitment to raising awareness of the natural environment and providing children with practical experiences / opportunities to make a real difference and feel part of the global community which values the environment and loves the outdoors.” He goes on to add, “The school has completed an active spaces audit and produced a 5-year plan to continue to develop our Outdoor Learning and I’m really excited to see how engaged and enthusiastic the children have been about making a real difference to our world. As far as we know, we are the first school in Cornwall to have received all four of these awards.”
Sithney CP School Eco-Code
We help the trees
To save the bees
We’re environmentally friendly
Mother nature is our friend
Everybody plays their part
By using a helping hand
We are Earth Smart!