Dauntsey's and the Environment.
At Dauntsey's environmental issues are high on our agenda and our aim is to embed sustainable principles into the heart of school life. We are keen to reduce our carbon footprint, live a bit greener and do our bit to tackle climate change.
Pupils are encouraged to become aware of their impact on the environment and are actively involved in energy conservation and the collection of recycled materials around the school. Green issues are raised and discussed through various curriculum subjects and extra-curricular activities.
"The Big Green Thing" is a pupil society set up to raise awareness of green issues. It promotes good environmental practice across the whole school community and is the major driving force behind a number of recent projects.
In 2008 solar panels to heat water for the showers were installed in the swimming pool complex and pipes laid beneath the new car park in Mercers' Field for a geothermal heating system. To offset the carbon emissions from the 120,000 miles of coach journeys that school buses undertake each year, pupils and staff cycled each of the school bus routes, to raise nearly £500 to invest in the Carbon Neutral Offset Programme.
Another recent initiative included a tree planting programme in which 3,000 saplings of native species were planted around the Mercers' Field site, to provide landscaping for the sports facilities and car park as well as new habitats for a range of wildlife.
In 2010 "The Big Green Thing" were the major driving force behind the implementation of a new Biomass Digester. Supplied by BioNova the new Waste Digester transforms all food waste, by rapid aerobic composting, into a powdered bio-fuel which can then be used to run a new Biomass Boiler once this has been installed. This not only reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and consequently reduces the School's carbon footprint but will also save the School money too.
The School has also recently changed its waste disposal arrangements and negotiated a new contract with ACM. We are pleased to report that cardboard is now compacted and bailed for recycling and that paper, plastics, glass, electrical goods, batteries and fluorescent tubes are all now collected separately so that they can be sent for recycling.