Explore the Let’s Go Zero map to see where else teachers, students and school communities are taking action to become zero carbon by 2030.
Let’s Go Zero school action:
Little Chalfont Primary School, Amersham
Little Chalfont Primary School have embarked on an extensive sustainability journey, transforming their school grounds to create a vibrant outdoor learning area. By partnering with local and national organisations, they have established an allotment style garden and orchard, as well as installing solar panels on the roof.
They have also:
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Engaged in initiatives such as the Big Plastic Count and No Mow May.
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Installed LED lighting throughout the school, replacing 90% of existing lights using various sources of funding.
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Set up an active Eco-Council that promotes environmental stewardship throughout the school.
The teachers and students leading the action:
“Each class have their own raised bed and we have created a big edible garden. We have studied the different areas of the garden and the climate to try and match the most suitable plants.”
Rob Hacking
Headteacher
“We used the Covid catch-up funding to build an allotment style garden. We had a keen parent volunteer who helped create this big edible garden. We wanted to get the children outside to make them feel happy to be back in school and taking part in hands on activities.”
Rob Hacking
Headteacher
What are they doing in their school?
Little Chalfont have engaged in many initiatives, including The Big Plastic Count and the Cut Your Carbon challenge to raise awareness of waste and get students involved. Students from the Eco Council help to lead many of these initiatives.
They have also repurposed and recycled materials from local building works to build outdoor spaces, shelving as well as the infrastructure for the irrigation tap. Staff and students are constantly looking for ways to stop materials from going to landfill.
Little Chalfont School have an allotment style garden with raised beds for each class to grow food. They are planning to share the produce grown onsite with local charity, Restore Hope, to be included in the food parcels sent out to vulnerable and disadvantaged families. There are also plans to install a polytunnel, allowing them to expand the amount of produce to then donate.
Students have the chance to make their own compost from food waste and leaves collected from the school grounds, learning about its importance as well as the different soil types. Doing so gives them importance hands-on learning experiences as well as teaching practical skills they can take home.
The school has installed an irrigation drip tap, delivering water directly to the roots and cutting water wastage. Now, their plants can be watered continuously, meaning their garden, allotments and orchard can thrive all year round.
By accessing local and national funding Little Chalfont School have replaced 90% of their lights with LEDs, helping reduce their carbon consumption. They have also installed solar panels to produce their own energy and are aiming to be fully self-sufficient in the future. To save both money and carbon, the school continuously monitors its energy use, getting the student Eco Council involved in keeping track of usage.
The school have been very successful in integrating sustainability into the curriculum by linking gardening projects with subjects such as history and geography. These planting projects include the Three Sisters of Indigenous American Agriculture and the Dig for Victory campaign, both providing hands on learning and fostering students’ connection with nature.
The school grounds have been transformed to create a brilliant outdoor learning space. Parent volunteers have helped clear overgrown areas and revitalise the quiet garden by installing seating areas and willow tunnels for relaxation. The school have partnered with the Woodland Trust and planted 280 saplings around the school site with the help of students and families. Alongside this, the waste company, Veolia, have helped plant an orchard, creating a vibrant and diverse outdoor learning environment.
The pond they have installed has also helped to boost onsite biodiversity – it’s now home to Great Crested Newts amongst other species!
Little Chalfont School remain committed to involving the wider community within their projects and hope to dedicate an area for a local special needs secondary school to grow wildflowers.
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