Oundle and Laxton Junior School observed Climate Week from 7-13 March, hoping to inspire a new wave of action to create a sustainable future.
The high points of the week revolved around the visits of Mike Berners-Lee and Sir Ghillean Prance, former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Mike delivered the annual Sir Peter Scott Memorial Lecture entitled How can Oundle help create a low carbon world? As well as running seminars and workshops with the pupils, Mike ran one with neighbouring Transition groups and community trusts, including Peterborough, Stamford and Kingscliffe. Sir Ghillean Prance lecture focused on the evidence and ethics of climate change.
There were a series of workshops and assemblies at LJS, and at Oundle School, pupils across all year groups studied various aspects of climate, linking the curriculum from Biology and Geography to Drama and History. There were displays around the School, as well as an energy conservation challenge, and low carbon meals in the boarding and day houses.
The week presented opportunities for staff and pupils to consider climate change and environmental responsibility thinking.
Oundle School already takes its environmental responsibilities seriously, with a robust boiler replacement programme in the pipeline; a policy of retrofitting LED lighting wherever possible, and PIR/absence control; retrofitting new and often above spec insulation whenever possible; and the Buildings department is now leading the way with a “zero to landfill” policy, which the Operations side of the School will hopefully follow soon. The School is also looking at replacing some vehicles with electric ones, and pledges to keep considering new options as they arise.
P Pitcher