Yesterday morning we held an exhibition in the Prep School, one which was a little bit different. It was called ‘Eternally Yours’ inspired by a recent exhibition at Somerset House in central London and everything in the exhibition was up-cycled or repaired. This was the result of the Prep girls’ Open Homework, where they had spent the previous two weeks creating something from an item which was going to be thrown away or mending an object which was broken instead of buying something new. The results were impressive, from a drum kit made from recycled plastic bottles to a flower planter made from an old wellington boot. The girls were creative and they were just so proud of what they had achieved. As part of the Open Homework they had to plan and record the process, a simplified version of EPQ and then present the results to their class. It covered so many skills and the Prep School was a buzz with the results.
At Sutton High School we are passionate about the environment, and we are working hard to have those conversations about how to make our school environment an even better place through sustainability. As the leaders across our world sat and discussed the environment at COP 27 we too thought about our next steps. It is something we are keen to be part of and if we all make small changes, we will see the real impact. From remembering not to use single use plastics, to buying recycled paper for our photocopying, to switching off the lights when not in use, we can all be part of this journey to make our world a better place.
As part of our Breathe the Wild Air lessons we also spent last week litter picking along Grove Road and around the school grounds. We recorded what we found and all of us were slightly horrified by the amount of rubbish gathered along Grove Road. From one small stretch outside the Prep School to St James’ Road many sack full of tin cans, face masks and sweet wrappers. We very much want to look after our world.
With our new building Fernwood House, we are leading the way with building sustainably. From collecting the rainwater to flush the toilets, to using recycled materials, to repurposing anything which was taken down during the building e.g. using the bricks from an old wall to create new seats. To having a building which is not heated by fossil fuel. It is important we learn how to create new buildings that do not damage our world. After all, they are the people who will ensure we are net zero by 2050.