St John's School's Let's Go Zero Project

St John’s C of E Infant School in Churt is no stranger to taking action to tackle the climate crisis and playing their part in Churt’s long term Net-Zero programme to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050. Governors, staff, parents and especially pupils recognise that whilst global warming and climate change are global problems, the contribution which every single household can make locally to reducing greenhouse gas emissions will add up to make a global impact.

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St John’s pupils have already led the way in a number of initiatives.  The village Earth Day 2021 challenge was to pledge one action to restore our Earth. Pupils, as young as five, captured no less than five ways each in their imaginative drawings! In the 2022 Earth Day challenge they experimented with water filters and discussed the importance of water on our blue planet and pledged to value and conserve it as a vital resource to life on earth. They have also planted a native hedgerow at school and native trees in nearby woodland to capture carbon and increase biodiversity locally.

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Now the school wants to take it further and are joining over 1900 other schools (currently) across the UK in a national campaign to show support and to help tackle the climate crisis by taking a ‘Let’s Go Zero’ pledge, declaring the aim to become net zero carbon by the ambitious target of 2030. In the coming pivotal decade for the climate, St John’s will be part of Let’s Go Zero’s national network of schools, sharing information about how to reduce carbon emissions, and working with local councils and government to make it happen.

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St. John’s is committing to cut carbon in a number of key areas; some of them in which the school hopes to make improvements this year are:

• Lighting – introducing more energy efficient LED lighting

• Windows – replacing old windows to reduce energy loss

• Purchasing – limiting the use of single use plastics

• Food waste – helping our children understand more about food​

   

In regular lessons, at Forest School and through community linked projects and talks children will be taught more about:

• Growing

• Respecting nature and the beautiful environment in which we live

• Renewable energy

• Small steps at home that add up to make a difference to climate change​