Eco-Schools Energy Award

Hope Academy have made significant reductions in our carbon emissions and as a result we have achieved the Eco-Schools Energy Award. This recognises the efforts of English schools who reduce their carbon emissions as part of their wider sustainability work and commitment to tackling Climate Change. We achieved the best Energy Performance Operational (EPO) Rating of 5 stars with an EPO level of 36.
Well done to everyone who has helped achieve this.

Results of Switch-off Fortnight & Goodbye Standby

Back in May 2013 the Eco-Committee were invited to school assemblies to promote two campaigns to save energy, "Switch-off Fortnight" and "Say Goodbye to Standby".

Our target was to use less electricity than May 2012 (approx. 60,000kWh).

We used 3000kWh (5%) less electricity. Many thanks to everyone who helped us achieve this target, especially to the Eco-monitors and ICT staff who ensured all the workstations were turned off at the end of each lesson. Well done!!!

Next year we aim to use 10% less electricity, so watch this space for further details.

Gillmoss Recycling Discovery Centre

The Eco-Committee visited the Gillmoss Recycling Discovery Centre in Knowsley on Thursday 18th July. It offered the opportunity to see recycling in action and to find out what happens to our waste.  Students discovered the journey of household waste and recycling by observing the recovery process via the viewing platform and live CCTV. They learnt how to reduce, reuse and recycle, and tested their knowledge by taking part in a range of fun quizzes and games. The purpose of the visit was to inspire everyone to change their behaviour and make a pledge on the pledge tree.

 

 

Students also took photographs of the Newton Heritage trail that was used for the following website created by students at Hope Academy.

 

Click here for the Newton Heritage Trail Website

ElectroCity Computer Game

During the July Breakout period, Hope Academy’s ICT students played a new, exciting and free Eco computer game called ElectroCity.

ElectroCity is an online computer game that lets players manage their own virtual towns and cities. It’s great fun to play and also teaches players about energy, sustainability and environmental management of a town. It helps explore the positives and negatives of using different forms of energy, such as coal, gas, nuclear, wind, solar, etc and the impact these have on the environment and population.

If anyone wants to play the game the link is here: www.electrocity.co.nz

After each town was created, students achieved a score for energy management, popularity, population and environment. These scores were automatically entered into our own Hope Academy League. The winning town was created by Daniel Thomas (6E) with an amazing 94 points out of 100. Congratulations to Daniel!

Hope Achieves Eco-Schools Silver Award

Congratulations to all the students, staff, governors, parents and especially the Eco-Committee for all your hard work this year. You have helped the Academy achieve the Eco-Schools Silver Award.

In order to achieve the award Hope Academy needed to meet a range of criteria:

1) Establish an Eco-Committee, comprising of pupils, teachers and parents that meets at least once every half term.
2) Conduct an Environmental Review. The Eco-Committee has completed an Environmental Review covering the Eco-Schools nine topics.

3) Create an Action Plan. The plan contains timescales, targets and who is responsible.

4) Link sustainability to the Curriculum. Faculties have mapped how they deliver sustainability in each subject.

5) Involving the Whole School and Wider Community. The Eco-Committee have worked with the Newton Partners Community Group and Newton & Earlestown Community Group, as well as involving the whole school in campaigns such as the Big Tidy Up, Switch-off fortnight and the Big Switch Off. These have been communicated via our blog, Eco-board and the Hope Herald.

6) Monitor and evaluate the sustainable campaigns we've adopted. The Eco-Committee monitors the effectiveness of the Academy (e.g. via data collection, before and after photographs, etc)

7) Establish an Eco-Code. The Academy has agreed, adopted and displayed the Eco-Code throughout the Academy.

8) Delivered Project Work during breakout days, such as Healthy Living apps in ICT and by creating bird boxes in Technology.

The Big Tidy Up at Hope Academy

The Academy Senate recently brought to our attention the emerging issue of litter. As a result, the Eco-Committee met to create an Anti-Litter Policy and to organise monthly Big Tidy Up campaigns. Mr Bailey talked to students at school assemblies last week about the impact of litter on the environment and wildlife, the new anti-litter policy and the Big Tidy Up campaign.

Hope Academy Anti-Litter Policy

Students and staff supported the Keep Britain Tidy campaign on Tuesday 25th June 2013 by completing a litter pick on the Academy grounds between 3:30pm and 4:30pm. It proved to be a great success and really shows how good the community spirit is at Hope Academy. Well done and thank you to everyone who volunteered!!

 

 

St Peter's Primary School Eco-Committee Visit

St Peter's Primary School’s Eco-Committee where given a personal tour around the sustainable features of Hope Academy on Wednesday 22nd May by some of our Eco-Committee. At the end of the tour they completed an Eco-quiz and the winner received a bird box made by Hope students during the last breakout day. Mrs Ainsworth, the Eco co-ordinator at St Peter's Primary school said, “We all really enjoyed the tour, thank you so much! The children found it interesting and learned a lot about sustainability (including a definition)!” Thank you to the Eco-Committee for all your help on the day.

 

Pupils from St Peter's and Megan Hill with her bird box, awarded to her for winning the sustainability quiz