Sustainability Plan

Sustainability Action Plan 2025/2027

What do we believe?

Practical action states

‘Don’t do things today that make tomorrow worse.’

Within our school, we encourage our children to:

  • Be kind, calm and honest
  • Respect life in all its forms,
  • Be responsible for themselves and others,
  • Look for hope in difficult times or situations,
  • Be courageous to stand up for what we believe in.
  • Support one another and the world in which we live.

Therefore, our Sustainability Climate Action Plan for 2025 (and beyond) is bound by these core values as well as our common purpose to ensure all those within our school community support ‘Creating confident, competent and kind citizens

What is Climate Change?

The dictionary definition is:

A change in global or regional acclimate patterns , in particular a change apparent from mod to late 20th Century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produce they the use of fossil fuels.

There are many factors that can make the Earth warmer and colder including:

  • greenhouse gases caused by human activity,
  • deforestation, where more than half of the world’s surface has been ploughed and paved,
  • ozone layer trapping heat closer to the Earth’s surface
  • different types of air pollution which have different effects on the atmosphere.

The challenge of climate change is formidable. For children and young people to meet it with determination, and not with despair, we must offer them not just truth, but also hope. Learners need to know the truth about climate change – through knowledge-rich education. They must also be given the hope that they can be agents of change, through hands-on activity and, as they progress, through guidance and programmes allowing them to pursue a green career pathway in their chosen field (DFE 2023).

What can we do?

The DFE has called on all education sectors to create a sustainability climate action plan to show how we, as a school community, can support national and international initiatives which are aimed at protecting the world through direct climate action. As a school, we have important role to play in this, particularly reducing our environmental footprint to work towards net zero and giving all children, young people and adults the knowledge and skills to thrive in the green economy and to help restore nature.

Through our sustainability climate action plan, we will engage directly with children and young people who are passionate about the natural world, want to do their best to protect it and can influence their wider communities.

Through their learned and lived experiences from Year 1 to Year 6, our children will develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the importance of nature, sustainability and the causes and impact of climate change and to translate this knowledge into positive action and solutions.

Using the four areas identified in the DFE’s Sustainability and climate change strategy Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems - GOV.UK our sustainability and climate action plan will focus on:

  • Decarbonisation e.g. taking action to reduce carbon emissions and becoming more energy efficient.
  • Adaptation and Resilience e.g. taking action to reduce the risk of flooding and overheating.
  • Biodiversity e.g engaging with National Education Nature Park Home | Education Nature Park
  • Climate Education and Green Careers e.g. knowledge rich comprehensive teaching about climate change.

It will also include:

  • Creating an environment from an early age where we can connect to nature is essential for self-enforcement in protecting and valuing nature’. Ensuring our children will:
  • spend time in nature and learn more about it
  • become actively involved in the improvement of their local environment
  • know that regular contact with green spaces can have a beneficial impact on their physical and mental health. 

Climate adaptation and decarbonisation activities can provide powerful learning opportunities.
Ensuring our children will:

  • participate in the implementation of climate adaptation measures
  • learn in buildings designed for net zero
  • find out more about the impact of energy and water use
  • See sustainability brought to life in the buildings around them, allowing them to gain experiences which will enhance and contextualise their learning.

Trinity Academy Newcastle Lower Site Climate Action Plan is created in conjunction with information from Lets Go Zero, Global Action and National Education Nature Park.

Flourishing Environments:

  1. Decarbonisation
  2. Adaptation and resilience
  3. Biodiversity
  4. Climate Education and Green Careers

Start Date

Key Questions

Actions

DFE area

Research

When

Suggested outcomes & impact

Explore (2025)  Define the problem we want to solve and identify appropriate programmes or practices to implement 

 

Prepare (2026)

Create a clear implementation plan.

 

Deliver  (2026 -27) Support staff, monitor progress, solve problems and adapt  

 

Sustain (2027+) Plan for sustaining and scaling an intervention

How can we improve the facilities in school to encourage staff to participate in active travel?

 

 

 

Prepare and Explore

Survey current staff travel arrangements
Promote LA cycle to work scheme through Cyclescheme to encourage active travel 

Deliver

Provide secure lock up for bikes and facilities for staff to leave belongings to encourage active travel: All schools: 1 cycle space per 20 staff in a non-pupil area.

Sustain

1

Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems - GOV.UK

Autumn 25

Emissions around school are reduced as more staff, families, children participate in active travel.

How can we reduce our energy usage and costs?

 

Prepare and Explore

  • Complete an energy audit including identifying hot and cold spots around school.
  • Eco Warriors and Sustainability lead responsibility roles to monitor Co2 monitors around school on a weekly basis.
  • All staff and pupils responsible for switching off lights, electric equipment after use – NOT STANDBY signs, posters, newsletters, class initiatives, team points.
  • Monthly energy usage calculations using SIGMA to compare and reduce consumption as appropriate  

Deliver
Sustain 

1

Gov Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Climate Action Plan Decarbonisation Guidance

MEEN has energy audit

Spring 26

School has reduced energy consumptions and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

How can we make our building more energy efficient?

Deliver

  • Replacement of old light fitting / bulbs with new LED energy efficient versions. (as and when needed as well as part of a planned replacement plan)
  • Replacement / purchase new window blinds to reduce heat loss and provide sun shade when temperatures are high. 
  • Replacement/ repair of current boiler(s) to more economical versions including single pump pressurisation unit.
  • Refurbishment of old toilet systems throughout school to more water efficient versions
  • Working with capital funding planners explore funding to support introduction of alternative energy sources – heat pumps, solar panels etc.

 

Sustain

 

Gov Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Climate Action Plan Decarbonisation Guidance   

Spring 26

School is more energy efficient.

What action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of flooding or over heating? 

Prepare

  • Review last drainage survey to assess to how clear they are to prevent water back up and flooding in school. 

Explore

  • Regular checking with the Flood Agency / Met Office to keep up to date with potential periods of  severe weather.
  • The removal of rubbish/waste and tree roots on an annual basis to prevent blockages and flooding in the school grounds.

Deliver

  • Site management duties reviewed to ensure that regular clearance of gutters and internal drains is completed to prevent dame to the property.  

Sustain

2

Grounds maintenance contracts.

 

 

Flood Alert Line Met Office  flooding / over heating  

Termly 

School makes adaptations to prevent

 

How do we ensure that children are aware of the importance of local climate action? 

Prepare

  • Introduce the importance of clean water for life – people, plants, animals through curriculum themes and subjects.
  • Make specific curriculum links to local water pollution in Geography and how to prevent this – take part in beach clean, litter cleans in local areas. 

Explore

  • Survey local biodiversity in school pond, River Tyne and Washington wetlands to develop an understanding of how to support to plant and animal life in the different locations.

Deliver

Sustain

3

 

Local water board information website

Marine Conservation Society

 

 

In Marine Conservation Society's Litter in the Environment

Summer 26  

 

 

How do we ensure that children are aware of the importance of global climate action?

Prepare and Explore

  • Promote Fair Trade and hold a Fair Trade event to develop understanding go sustainable farming across the world as well as demands the highest standards from business and government, ensuring people and planet are not exploited to create the products we all enjoy. 
  • Actively promote Fair Trade produce in school through healthy sustainable lunch box initiatives, Fair trade non uniform fashion day. 

Explore

  • Water Aid through pupil research, invite speakers into school and access online talks to help the children understand the importance of water around the world.

Deliver

Sustain

4

Fair Trade                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Aid  

Summer 26

 

Cost

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Sustainability Action Plan

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