Pupil power cuts carbon
29-JUL-10
Issued by: Nicola Sleightholme
Langley First School, Whitley Bay has set out its first, formal energy plan.
The policy will help the school to manage and reduce its energy and water consumption as well as promote low carbon initiatives.
The school has been working with North Tyneside Council's Sustainable Development Unit on the School Energy Engagement Plan (SEEP).
SEEP is a six-step approach that helps the school to:
- Analyse current energy performance
- Implement a whole-school energy policy
- Develop energy awareness campaigns
- Include energy and carbon related issues in the curriculum
- Gain support when applying for funding for carbon reduction schemes.
The school aims to reduce its electricity and gas consumption by 10 per cent and water usage by five per cent, over the next year, just by making small changes to the way they operate.
Pupils and staff will encourage each other to do simple things such as turning off computers at the end of the day, printing double-sided, switching off lights and reporting dripping taps.
The schools started to put the plan into action at the end of the summer term, and will continue in earnest in September.
It also held its very own 'Green Day', to mark the launch of the plan, where staff and pupils were encouraged to use sustainable transport to get to and from school and photocopying and printing was banned, unless urgent. Pupils also dressed in green.
Cllr Ed Hodson, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "All of our schools have an important role to play in helping North Tyneside to address the challenges of climate change and carbon reduction. By being proactive, Langley First School have started to recognise the potential of sustainable development to transform the learning experiences and outcomes of pupils whilst improving the schools environmental performance."