GREEN ENVIRONMENT, GREY MATTER

Green Enviro Grey Matter

I’ve long extolled the virtues of nature and its positive impact on learning. Being in green spaces leaves one feeling revitalised, invigorated and inspired – a perfect mindset for a full day of learning. When thinking of Croydon, your mind probably doesn’t automatically flick to images of greenery and wildlife. However, at Royal Russell, we’re lucky to have 110 acres of beautiful woodland just 25 minutes from the centre of London.

Our boarding community make use of the estate at every opportunity – from dog walking to cross-country runs and meditation. Our surroundings are an important part of the boarding experience and we really encourage our community to engage with them from day one. It’s incredible how every pupil connects with the space in a different way and takes away something unique.

Anecdotally, we know that nature creates a calmer, quieter, and safer setting for learning; however, I was interested to read a recent University of Minnesota study which found that learning surrounded by nature fosters warmer, more cooperative relations among students and affords more creative, more exploratory forms of work. Further, the study found that nature has a rejuvenating effect on attention; relieves stress; boosts self-discipline; increases physical activity and fitness; and promotes student selfmotivation, enjoyment, and engagement.

Respect for our environment is a key driver in many of our important decisions. When we redeveloped our boys’ and girls’ boarding houses, it was incredibly important to the team and I to ensure we were using the very latest sustainable building materials and technologies to keep our carbon footprint to a

minimum. The student council, and the boarding community in particular, were also keen to ensure their new accommodation had eco credentials and this was a strong theme when we were discussing the project with them. The new boarding houses were completed in 2020 and include solar panels, energy turbines, energy efficient windows and doors, and furniture made from sustainable materials.

Another priority for us was to be sympathetic to our beautiful surroundings. We’re home to an array of wildlife here at Royal Russell, including families of deer, so we were at pains to ensure the development works had minimal impact on established habitats. The care taken rewards our boarding community daily, with pupils able to make numerous sightings of wildlife in the quieter moments of the day. These are interactions which they really value and are even included within art and media projects and enrichment activities as part of their learning.

As we have re-emerged from lockdown and returned to in-person teaching, I’ve noticed how much more our boarding pupils appreciate our open green spaces and being able to enjoy them with friends. Giving the pupils the time to reconnect with the community has been a priority for us, so we have built time into our programme for the remainder of the academic year to talk about what has happened in the last year, its impact and how we’ll all move forward collectively. The woodland trails we have on the estate are often the perfect setting for those conversations and I think the pupils have found it quite cathartic to either pour out how they are feeling or to simply enjoy the walk in silence to the soundtrack of birdsong.