Sustainability

We know that here at St Helen and St Katharine our students care deeply about environmental issues and have a strong desire to actively protect our planet. We are making a conscious effort to ensure that our discussions around sustainability and environmentalism are not merely talk but catalysts for actionable change that students can actively be a part of. 

This does not mean that sustainability at St Helen’s is new – in fact far from it. As part of our effort to be recognised as an Eco-School with a Green Flag Award, our student-led Eco Council has been working with the whole school community to spearhead new projects and initiatives in almost every department. 

Green achievements

We have already made amazing progress in working together to make St Helen’s a more sustainable school. Some of these milestone achievements have included a 17% reduction in paper consumption compared to the last academic year; introducing items of clothing into our sports kit that are made from recycled materials; and replacing house lights in our performance spaces to use more sustainable, dimmable LEDs. 

Our Wildflower Meadow Project seeks to transform the ecology of our Church Farm site. Last year, students planted an extensive wildflower meadow, covering more than 1.5 km² ground along the edge of the A34.  

Our annual Climate Awareness Fortnight started in conjunction with the School’s Sixth Form Geography Society during the annual Conference of the Parties (COP). The two-week event challenges students to pick a particular environmental focus and try to enact change – however big or small. 

The School is currently in the process of applying for the Eco-Schools Green Flag award. The Eco-Schools campaign is all about uniting young people to make realistic but dynamic change, creating positive impacts for our planet now.