By 2025, all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan. Our sustainability lead at Petersgate Infant School is Mrs Mitchell. 

Our Sustainability leadership is made up of a range of staff and we will be involving our Young Governors in due course. Driven by our SCARF values, paired with our staff, governors, children and our wider community, we acknowledge and embrace the responsibility for the development and implementation of our climate action plan.

Why do we believe this important? 

It will increase the confidence and expertise of our management team, wider staff team, children and governors in understanding climate change and how positive change can be achieved. It creates a culture that prioritises sustainability and enables us to share effective practice with other education settings.  It allows us to use data to identify and prioritise action; improve energy and water efficiency, calculate our carbon emissions and identify ways to reduce them, which in time, should support a reduction of operating costs. It will increase resilience as we start adapting to the impacts of climate change, enhance biodiversity and help learners develop skills and knowledge which will help them to contribute to sustainability and climate change in their lives and future jobs. 

We will be involving the children is important in climate action planning in the following ways:

• inspire their enthusiasm to help drive positive change
• increase their practical knowledge of sustainability and climate change
• give the children a sense of agency where anxiety stems from climate concerns
• create a sense of pride in their educational setting
• enable them to share their knowledge and enthusiasm in their local communities
• enable them to engage their parents, carers, and wider community in sustainability and climate change
• develop their understanding and passion for the natural world and ways to protect it

Our areas align with the  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy :

• decarbonisation, for example calculating and taking actions to reduce carbon emissions, such as becoming more energy efficient
• adaptation and resilience, such as taking actions to reduce the risk of flooding and overheating
• biodiversity, for example engaging with the https://www.educationnaturepark.org.uk/
• climate education and green careers, such as ensuring the education you provide gives knowledge-rich and comprehensive teaching about climate change
• increasing opportunities for access to nature (through our Outdoor Learning curriculum and learning with our Well-being and Life Skills Lead)

 We look forward to sharing our Climate Action plan with you shortly.