School nets cash through drive for sustainability

8.23.39pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 10th Feb 2008

A borough school has scooped a prestigious grant after working in tandem with Richmond Council to achieve sustainability.

Hampton Hill Junior School is one of just 56 nationwide to earn £5,000 from the National College for School Leadership in recognition of efforts to cut energy consumption and boost recycling. Working with the Council's building development team, the school replaced its oil burning boilers with high efficiency gas boilers and solar panels, slashing energy consumption by over 35 per cent. Photovoltaic panels and a wind turbine will be installed during half term to generate electricity, cutting energy bills and carbon emissions yet further. Pupils, parents and teachers have enthusiastically adopted sustainable practices. The school has also forged strong links with a sister-school in Japan, which leads nationally on sustainability issues, and as a result, children have reduced lunch time wastage by 70 %. The Council has pledged to continue challenging and helping schools across the borough become more sustainable.

Cllr Malcolm Eady, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Education on Richmond Council, said: "Embracing renewable energy and engaging the whole school community has seen Hampton Hill Junior become a local leader on sustainability in schools. The head teacher and staff have worked closely with the Council to implement schemes that have dramatically reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions, and increased recycling rates. We demand that all new school buildings, such as the recently approved Teddington School rebuild, meet the highest standards of sustainability. Hampton Hill has shown that our older facilities can also play a leading role and make sizeable environmental gains. The Council aims to become the most sustainable in London and we will continue working closely with our schools to help achieve this."