Links to sustainability are woven throughout our curriculum, ensuring that pupils regularly encounter and engage with environmental themes across a range of subjects. In addition, we have developed an explicit sustainability curriculum, carefully integrated into our campaign curriculum, which gives children the opportunity to explore key issues in greater depth and take meaningful action. Through this, pupils develop a deeper understanding of ecosystems, food systems, and the ways in which human actions impact the environment. Our approach ensures that children not only learn about sustainability but actively experience and contribute to it. This is closely linked to our whole-school ‘Keep Green’ ethos, which encourages pupils to think critically about their impact on the world and to make positive, responsible choices. Through this combined approach, sustainability is not only something pupils learn about, but something they actively live and promote as part of daily school life. 

We are working to reduce waste, recycle more and use fewer single-use items. We teach our pupils to be thoughtful about what they use and throw away, encouraging them to take pride in caring for their surroundings and making environmentally responsible choices.

Growing plants and food is an important part of school life. Our gardens and polytunnels provide rich, hands-on learning environments where children can grow a wide variety of plants throughout the year. Pupils are actively involved in planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops, helping them to understand where food comes from, how to care for nature, and why green spaces matter.

We are also building a circular food system at school. This means growing food, using it in meals and composting any scraps to feed the soil and grow more. Composting is a regular and valued activity for our pupils, who learn how organic waste can be transformed into a vital resource. By turning waste into something useful, we teach that everything has a purpose and that small actions can make a big difference.

In addition, we have worked collaboratively to develop a climate action plan for the school, setting out clear steps to reduce our environmental impact. This is an ongoing process, and we are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make our school more sustainable—from improving energy use to enhancing our outdoor spaces for wildlife.

Together with our pupils, families, and the local Hackney community, we are creating a school where caring for the environment is part of everyday life. Sustainability at Gainsborough is about empowering children to make informed choices, take meaningful action, and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.