Sustainable Development Goals & The Environment

At Button Lane we are committed to educating pupils about sustainability and the environment using the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Every year, pupils take part in national and international awareness days, such as Clean Air Day, and we have even taken part in a whole school project in partnership with Chester Zoo, focusing on sustainable palm oil.

Sustainability in school

Pupils learn about renewable and non renewable resources, looking at the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle model. Our Eco Council leads pupils in thinking of more ways in which we can become a sustainable school and promote sustainability in our local area.

Litter Projects

We are always working hard to reduce the amount of waste we produce at school, including reducing the amount of litter in our school grounds and local area.

Our Eco Council held a Litter poster competition and the winning posters were displayed around school. 

Great British Spring Clean

Annually, the whole school takes part in the Great British Spring Clean. Each class partakes in a litter pick around the school grounds and our local area. The children wear high visibility jackets and use our litter picking kit to safely collect rubbish, helping to make our school grounds and local area a cleaner, safer place.

Sustainable Palm Oil Project

We were fortunate enough to work closely with Chester Zoo on a fantastic whole school project focusing on raising awareness of sustainable palm oil.

Chester Zoo Safari Rangers came into school to deliver workshops throughout the school term, educating the children on what palm oil is, where it comes from, what products it is in and how it is obtained. Pupils learnt all about fair trade and farmers' rights as well as animal rights and deforestation. 

The project finale was a whole school trip to Chester Zoo where pupils took part in educational workshops, as well as viewing all of their favourite animals. For some children, it was their very first trip to a zoo and what a memorable day it was too. 

Clean Air Day

Clean Air Day is an annual campaign that we engage in, supporting children's education surrounding global issues. Coordinated by Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day brings together communities, businesses, education and the health sector:

• to improve public understanding of air pollution, both indoors and outdoors
• to build awareness of how air pollution affects our health
• to explain some of the easy things we can all do to tackle air pollution, helping to protect the environment and our health too.

Our Clean Air Day Activities

Our pupils partake in a wide range of activities for Clean Air Day including the 'Walking Bus'. The 'Walking Bus' encourages pupils and their families to walk to school. There are four meeting points in the local area where staff meet pupils and parents and lead the 'walking bus' to school. It is a great success and a positive start to the school day. Following on from that, pupils find out more about air pollution and made pledges to support cleaner air for all.

Our Link School & Clean Air Day

On Clean Air Day, Year 2 worked with our 'Link School'. Our pupils were interested to find out that most of their Spanish friends already walk to school everyday. Our link school sent us their Clean Air Day pledges and photographs of the children planting a tree to promote clean air. It was wonderful to team up with pupils in another country on a shared project.

Pupil Voice

One child from Year 2-6 completes an evaluation of Clean Air Day. The Eco Council love hearing pupil feedback and using it to support their action plan. 

Making a Stand

After learning that not all of Cadbury's chocolate contains Sustainable Palm Oil, our Year 2 pupils decided to write to Cadbury's to share their disappointment and... they received a response! Mondelez International wrote back to the children, explaining ways in which they will continue to contribute towards our common goal of achieving palm oil sustainability. To read their letter, click on the gallery photograph below.

WOW Time - Sustainable Development Goals

As part of a WOW time club on Friday afternoons, children in KS1 learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals which guide our journey to achieving the International Schools Award (we have achieved Bronze and are now working towards Silver).

Children take part in activities surrounding a chosen Sustainable Development Goal. Activities include raising awareness around school by creating posters to display and holding discussions and debates.