We all stand together
Claremont’s new environmental action plan is green for ‘Go!’
Perhaps the most pressing issue of today concerns all our tomorrows? The very future of the planet and all life upon it. This is why the staff and students at Claremont High School are championing ‘The Claremont Sustainable Way’. Based on the slogan ‘Should be as easy as A, B, C’, The Way promotes ‘Awareness, Behaviour and Care’ of the environment in and around the school. For example: be mindful of your environmental impact in school and beyond; model environmentally-responsible behaviour at all times; and care for school grounds and respect local wildlife.
Ms Cairns and Mr Sewell are the joint Eco-Sustainability Co-ordinators for the school: ‘As co-leads, our role is to ensure that Claremont has a government-required Climate Action Plan put in place to help the school become more sustainable, as well as working towards being carbon neutral. We will be taking the lead on inputting and promoting sustainable initiatives, such as recycling within the wider Claremont community. We’re also working in close collaboration with Brent and other schools in the Kingsbury area to make our neighbourhoods environmentally friendly for all.’
Students have a crucial role to play too.
‘There are several ways pupils can get involved,’ explains Ms Cairns and Mr Sewell. ‘We’re running a “Green Leaders” group, which meets every Wednesday in Week One in M115. This is our Eco-Committee, in which we discuss important issues and plan events that can involve the whole school.’
Kiya Patel in Year 8 is a Green Leader: ‘The Claremont Sustainable Way is where we share our ideas and create a safer environment for people around us. The sort of thing we do is inter-college events and much more to make an environment safe for everyone.’
‘We’re currently planning to ship maths books to Africa, organise a clothing drive and get the school to take part in litter-picking activities when the weather improves,’ explains fellow Green Leader Patrick Didenco in Year 10. ‘I got involved because I saw Ms Cairns promote the Green Leaders in assembly and it interested me. I wanted to see how keeping our environment clean can have a big impact.’
And there are more ways in which students can get involved...
‘We’ve also launched our Recycling Monitors Scheme,’ says Ms Cairns and Mr Sewell. ‘All form groups are encouraged to take their recycling bins down to the recycling area once a week to ensure we are recycling properly. We’re also running our first inter-college competition, building an endangered sea animal out of recycled materials. Prizes include Lego, refillable pens and water bottles!’
With Ms Cairns and Mr Sewell, plus the Green Leaders, on the case it’s good to know our future is in safe hands. But it’ll only work if we all stand together… That’s the true Claremont way.