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Junior School

3-11 years

Senior School

11-16 years

Sixth Form

16-18 years

Other Areas

As well as biodiversity, waste, and energy, we also continually work on the other areas: global citizenship, healthy living, litter, marine, school grounds, transport and water. Below outlines ways we continue to address these areas.

Global Citizenship: Global citizenship is embedded in the day-to-day life at SGS. This topic recognises the importance of young people’s involvement in their wider community; to make our planet more sustainable, peaceful and fair. Across the school a number of initiatives have helped us work towards these aims. For example:

  • Senior members of the Eco-School committee regularly write to local MPs about environmental issues that are of concern to them
  • The Senior School regularly collects and donates unused and unwanted toiletries to a local charity called Bare Necessities. The charity distributes toiletries to pupils in Stockport and South Manchester schools that are experiencing hygiene poverty
  • In Spring 2024, Senior School pupils collected plastic bottle caps on behalf of the Plastic Shed based in Stockport. The bottle caps have been turned into a public artwork displayed in the Merseyway Shopping Centre
  • The Eco-School committee has distributed wild flower seed packets beyond the immediate school community by creating seed packets, made from recycled paper and leaving them at local libraries
  • The Senior School has a long-term working relationship with EducAid. The charity provides free, high-quality education to some of the most underprivileged children in Sierra Leone. Pupils at SGS fundraise three times a year for the charity.

Healthy Living: The health of us all, and the planet are intrinsically linked. The promotion of health lifestyles is promoted across both the Junior and Senior school. For example:

  • A range of fresh and healthy food choices is provided each day for lunch. This includes vegetarian and vegan options. These food choices are clearly labelled to support informed choices
  • Over recent years the Junior School has developed outside spaces for pupils’ enjoyment and learning. This has included a woodland area and an outdoor musical area
  • The Senior School has a small allotment, and the Junior School has a number of raised vegetable beds. Here, pupils can learn how to grow food and vegetables as well as enjoy spending time outside.

Litter: The reduction of litter across the school has been aided by the success of many of our waste reduction and recycling projects. Waste and recycling facilities are available in all classrooms and throughout outdoor spaces. As well as this, several initiatives have been put in places to reduce litter across the site. For example:

  • Sixth Form Prefects and staff are encouraged to take litter pickers on their break and lunch time duties. The involvement of Sixth Form pupils provides a role model for younger pupils
  • The Eco-School Committee across both the Senior and Junior Schools have gone on litter picks at lunchtime, both within the school grounds and outside in the wider community.

Marine: The marine topic requires us to consider ways we, as a school community, can help to promote and protect water-based ecosystems, such as oceans. However, Eco-Schools recognises that for some schools, such as SGS, aquatic ecosystems such as rivers, canals and lakes may also be significant in their local area. We have made attempts to reduce our impact on Marine ecosystems. For example:

  • To promote the reuse of plastics, Senior School pupils collected plastic bottle caps on behalf of the Plastic Shed based in Stockport. The bottle caps have been turned into a public artwork
  • Alongside our work in reducing waste, we have banned single-use plastics in the Dining Hall. Reducing the risk of plastics entering marine ecosystems
  • Plastic waste has been reduced by encouraging pupils to bring reusable water bottles
  • The establishment of an ‘Eco Hub’ in the library encourages further plastic waste to be reduced e.g. cosmetics.

School Grounds: This is a large topic requiring us to look at ways of improving all aspects of the school site for pupils, staff and parents as well as wildlife. More information about ways we are continually seeking to improve the school grounds is available here.

Transport: The nature of the school means that pupils travel from many destinations each day. With this in mind the Eco-School committee has been looking at ways to reduce the impact of this travel. For example:

  • The Junior School began a campaign to encourage parents in the school car park to switch off engines, thereby reducing emissions and improving air quality
  • The Eco-School Committee developed pupil friendly information on alternative ways to travel to school. Including information on public transport options and ways to reduce the cost
  • The school has also written to the school bus providers to remind drivers to switch off engines whilst waiting in the yard at the end of the school day.

As with all our current topics (biodiversity, marine, waste, water and school grounds), these additional topics are also promoted through the varied curriculum across the Junior and Senior schools.

Water: Consideration of water usage is school-wide from hand washing facilities to watering plants on-site. Water is a precious resource and it is vital that this is used in a sustainable way. Across the school we have been working towards this aim. For example:

  • The Eco-School Committee have met with the Schools Grounds team to discuss water saving strategies e.g. installation of water butts and mulching flower beds to reduce watering requirements form over evaporation
  • In a new flower/plant bed at the entrance of the school, a water butt collecting water from the roof of a shelter has been installed
  • Eco-School Prefects have researched and presented information to Senior staff about possible water harvesting ideas
  • Pupil hand washing facilities in school have self-stopping taps. More worked is planned on ensuring staff facilities also have this
  • In the Junior School, ‘Save Water’ posters have been displayed in the Science and Art rooms
  • The Senior School have twinned two water fountains (one in Hallam Quad and one in the Woodsmoor Building) with taps in developing countries (Afghanistan and Nepal) to support improved water access elsewhere in the world.