ST MARYS HIGH SCHOOL

Formal Environmental Review

School: St Mary’s High School, Newry

Date of Review: March 2012

Carried out by: The Eco Commitee


ENERGY

Is there someone in your school who has special responsibility for monitoring the consumption of energy (electricity, heating etc.) in the school?
If there is, who is it? / Yes No
Mr Morgan takes the lead in this area although students are often asked to read the meters. Students also construct graphs to represent data collected.
Are the energy meters (e.g. electricity meters) easily visible to pupils?
Are pupils involved in taking and displaying readings? / Yes No
Yes No
Has your school taken any of the following low-cost steps to reduce heat loss through windows?
Draught excluding strips
Solar reflecting film
Responsible class window monitors / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Waste Monitors patrol classrooms and close windows which are open.
Do the school windows have double glazing, triple glazing or energy-saving glass?
If Yes, then in how many rooms? (If all, write all) / Yes No
All windows in the school are double glazed
Are any external (outside) doors self-closing?
If Yes, then how many doors are self-closing? (If all, write all) / Yes No
19 external doors in the school are self-closing
Are any internal (inside) doors self-closing?
If Yes, then how many doors are self-closing? (If all, write all) / Yes No
75 internal doors are self-closing
Are low-energy light bulbs and fluorescent tubes used in school?
If Yes, then in how many rooms? (If all, write all) / Yes No
Low energy light bulbs and tubes are used in ALL classrooms
Does each classroom have its own heating thermostat?
If No, then how many rooms have a thermostat? (If none, write none) / Yes No
14 rooms in the school have a thermostat
Are lights and electrical items turned off when not in use? / Yes
No
Sometimes
Our waste and energy monitors are actively encouraging this although this is in need of improvement.
Does the school have any of the following sources of renewable energy? Wind generator
Solar water PV heating panels
Wood fuel boiler
Ground source heat pump / Not at present
Any further comments on energy:
Energy is our major topic this year and we are actively engaging in projects to raise awareness and reduce energy consumption. Some excellent progress has been made to date with a reduction in energy bills. However, a SM decision on timing of the computers has led to an unavoidable increase in energy usage. The Eco-Committee are concerned about this decision and have relayed it to Mrs Joan Curtis, our School Governor Representative, who will discuss this with the Senior Management. At present the computers are timed to come on at 8.00am in the morning and timed to go off at 4.30pm. This is to facilitate automatic updates. The Eco-Committee feel this is an unnecessary waste of energy as updates occur only on a Thursday night according to C2k. An alternative suggestion has been put forward – to purchase sleep monitors for the computers in the school which will counter-act this problem.

LITTER

How serious is the problem of rubbish/litter in the school grounds?
Very serious, the place is a mess most of the time
Not too bad, but could be improved
The grounds are more or less litter free
Does your school have a clear anti-litter policy? / Yes No
Are there litter bins inside the school buildings?
How many of these are:
Full – overflowing
About half full
Less than a quarter full / Yes No
None
Some
Some
Are there any areas inside the school buildings that are littered where there are no bins? / Yes No
Are there enough litter bins in the school’s grounds?
How many of these are:
Full – overflowing
About half full
Less than a quarter full / Yes No
None
Some
Some
Are there any areas in the school grounds that are littered where there are no bins? / Yes No
Are litter bins generally:
Big enough
Correct design (holding in litter when windy)
Clean
There are bins in the outside area which can on windy days loose rubbish. This can be seen to blow around the grounds but only on very windy days. Eco-Committee have been informed and will investigate this problem. / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Any further comments on litter bins / location of litter:
Our waste monitors patrol the grounds on a daily basis and lift any litter. Our grounds are relatively litter free.

WASTE MINIMISATION / RECYCLING

Does the school carefully control the use of resources such as paper, pencils, ink cartridges, pens, envelopes etc?
No, there seems to be little control
Yes, but control is not very tight
Yes, control of these materials is very strict
Does the school buy stationery products (paper, pencils, pens etc.) made from recycled content? / Yes (where possible)
Sometimes
No
Are hand towels and other disposable paper products purchased with recycled content?
If some, note which products are and which aren’t
During requisition time (summer term) the Eco-Committee plan to hold a staff meeting and remind staff to buy recycled products where possible. / Yes
Some
No
Does the school recycle any of the following items of school waste?
paper cardboard plastic
inkjet cartridges vending machine cups other
Please describe other materials recycled – batteries, mobile phones, clothes via our Clothing Bank onsite, shoes, books via our onsite Book Bank
What proportion of school food waste is composted? / None
1% – 25%
26% – 50%
51% – 75%
75% - 100%
Do you run any other recycling schemes to raise money for the school and / or involve the local community, e.g. mobile phones, jumble sales?
We run the “Cash for Clobber campaign every year whereby clothes, shoes and bags are brought into school and collected by Cookstown Textile Recyclers. This year we plan to use Alltex Recyclers. The book bank is advertised in the library and we actively encourage pupils to recycle book but also hold regular book swaps. / Yes No
Does the school encourage reuse of materials, e.g. water bottles?
We recently took part in the Tidy NI “Junk Mail” competition whereby we had 267 of our school body receive a reusable drinks bottle. / Yes No
Does the school have any policies to reduce waste? / Yes No
Any further comments on waste minimisation / recycling:
We have a battery bank although at present this is not utilized fully.
Each student has allocated printer credits. These are set and can only be changed by a teacher. This prevents over printing and unnecessary printing.
We have a local community link with “OSM Ltd” who collect our cardboard on a fortnightly basis. All cardboard is stored in a designated bin in the bin house.

WATER

Is there a water meter to record water use in school? / Yes No
Is the meter easily visible to pupils? / Yes No
Are pupils involved in taking and displaying readings? / Yes No
Are the toilets designed to reduce water loss e.g. low-volume flush, flush on demand urinals etc.? / Yes No
If YES, then how many of the toilets are fitted with such devices? (list, or state All) / At present only the boys toilets have such devices
Are hand-basin taps of the push-on or self-stopping type? / Yes No
If YES, then how many? (list, or state All) / ALL
Are taps left running? / Always
Sometimes
Never
Are dripping taps and other leaks fixed quickly? / Yes No
If NO, then approximately how long do repairs take?(circle) / 2 – 3 days
4 – 7 days
more than 7 days
How often does the school run water-saving campaigns? / Regularly
Occasionally
Never
Any further comments on water:


TRANSPORT

Do you monitor how pupils travel to school? / Yes No
If yes, how many pupils use the following transport to or from school – note total count of pupils
walk bus Cycle
share a taxi share a car travel as a single passenger in car
Has this data been mapped? Yes No
Does the school have dry and secure cycle storage?
If Yes, is there sufficient space for all users? / Yes No
Yes No
Does the school offer cycle instruction?
If Yes, does it include on-road training?
If Yes, does it meet the national standard / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Does the school have a network of ‘safe routes’ to walk or cycle? / Yes No
Does the school have any of the following:
Walking bus scheme
Cycle train
Park and stride
Other similar scheme / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Does the school organise regular ‘walk to school’ or ‘cycle to school’ events? / Yes No
Do any of the school transport vehicles (buses, taxis etc.) run on alternative fuels such as electricity, land-fill gas or vegetable-derived oils? / Yes No
Does the school have a school travel plan? / Yes No
Does the school have a pedestrian and cycle entrance that is separate from vehicle access? / Yes No
Any further comments on transport:

Healthy Living

Does the school provide and promote healthier food at break times and lunchtimes? / Yes No
Does the school include education on healthier eating and basic food safety practice in the taught curriculum? / Yes No
Is there a system for monitoring whether children eat a balanced lunchtime diet over the week?
Our canteen follows strict National Guidelines agreed by National Standards in the SELB. 65% of our school body eats regularly in the canteen. In 2004, we sought funding to begin our highly successful and popular salad bar. The introduction of the S.N.A.G Group (Schools Nutritional Action Group) has placed healthy living at the forefront of school. / Yes No
Does the school have drinking water easily available throughout the day?
Children are encouraged to bring drinking water to school / Yes No
Is there a whole school approach to the promotion of physical activity? / Yes No
Does the school offer all pupils a minimum of 2 hours physical activity a week within and outside the National Curriculum? / Yes No
Does the school have a no-smoking policy for staff?
If Yes, is this followed by all staff including carers, parents and staff? / Yes No
Yes No
Can classroom and other windows be opened to improve ventilation? / Yes No
Are there green plants growing in pots in any classrooms?
If Yes, in which classrooms?
Yes, science and technology have some plants although we do plan to address bio-diversity as a major topic next year. / Yes No
Which of the following are commonly used by teachers?
chalk water based markers interactive whiteboard
solvent based markers a mixture
Does the school use environmentally friendly cleaning products? / Yes No
However these are not used everywhere.
Do the school toilets have:
Locks Toilet paper Sanitary disposal facilities
Hot water Paper towels Sanitary product dispensers
Any further comments on healthy living:
Recent appointment of a healthy Living Coordinator means this area is being addressed. The S.N.A.G group has been formed (Schools Nutritional Action Group) and meetings have taken place between the Coordinator and the canteen supervisors. Healthy living is actively promoted by staff, parents and the catering staff.

BIODIVERSITY

Do the school grounds staff use chemical pesticides and herbicides? / Often
Occasionally
Never
Does the school have any plants in containers, pots or beds in the school grounds?
The creation of the Rose Garden to celebrate our 50th Anniversay and past Principals. / Yes, lots
Yes, some
No
Does the school have a wildlife, or conservation area?
If Yes, is the area protected by fences or school rules, or both? / Yes No
Yes No
Does the school maintain any of the following?
Bat boxes Bird boxes Bird feeders
Bird baths Woodland area Pond
Squirrel feeders Butterfly-friendly plants Log piles for invertebrates
Species records
If any of the above are ticked Yes, are pupils involved in looking after them ? Yes No
Does the school have links with any local or national environmental organisations?
If Yes, then with whom? (list)
ReGen – a local recycling company. Teachers went on a visit to the plant to see first-hand what happens to recycled products.
OSM Ltd – collect and recycle all our cardboard
Killowen Outdoor Education Centre – Year 12 & 13 fieldwork in Geography
Tidy NI – we actively seek to take part in any events taking place i.e Canal Court Event, Febuary 2012
Down District Council – annually take part in Calendar and EYS Competitions / Yes No
Any further comments on biodiversity:
Biodiversity is a project we would like to pursue next year. We have a large Greenhouse which at the moment has broken windows and is in dire need of repair. We hope to use any proceeds from recycling, entering competitions to re-vamp the greenhouse and grow plants, vegetables etc. We have a very pro-active Head of Science who is willing to help with this.


SCHOOL GROUNDS

What proportion (percentage) of the school’s grounds are?
Grass playing field, short grass 25% Long grass 5%
Woodland 0% Tarmac/paths/roads 30%
Conservation or wildlife area 0% Flower/vegetable beds 10%
Water or wetland area 0% Seating area 10%
Activity play area 20% Other
What proportion (percentage) of the school boundaries are……..?
Hedges and trees 0% Wire or railing 100% Open 0%
Does the school recycle garden or fruit/vegetable waste in a composter or wormery? / Always
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
Do you ever hold lessons or part of lessons outside?
In summer PE lessons are held outside. The science block has a door leading outside and classes are regularly held outside in summer term. (Miss McConnell) / Yes No
Have pupils looked into the heritage of the school grounds?
We are celebrating 50years in education this year so this is something that we should look into. / Yes No
Any further comments on school grounds:
Our Caretakers and auxiliary staff work hard to keep the grounds tidy and litter free. In spring and summer, we have flower containers around the grounds. We would like to pursue this as a topic next year alongside biodiversity. Rose garden to commemorate past Principals and Golden Jubilee Year

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE