Sustainability

As part of our ongoing commitment to Sustainability and providing the best possible environment for our pupils and staff, we have been monitoring the pollution levels of the South Circular and their impact on our environment, for many years.

Extensive expert testing in all areas of our school site was completed as part of our new build project in 2019 and 2020. This was to ensure that the design and location of our school buildings were all situated in good quality, clean air. Aether, Air Quality and Climate Change Emissions Consultants, were used to produce detailed reports and we were delighted that their findings confirmed that all areas of the College site were in good air quality. This report, which measured the air quality levels over time, also confirmed that pollution levels dissipated 5 meters from the South Circular. As a direct result of this monitoring, our buildings, outdoor learning areas and social spaces are all set back from the main roads. The Plaza, our newest external development which is situated in the heart of the College estate, was designed with the best possible air quality in mind, as identified by Aether. We are also delighted to report that all Junior School children now have access to outdoor play space well within the safe air quality areas. This year, our extensive planting programme has come into action, which includes a number of ‘pollutant capturing’ trees that have been planted alongside the South Circular perimeter and a number of wild-flower areas including outside our Wellness Centre. The Estates Team have also left ‘wild’ sections of the College Grounds to grow and attract biodiversity, wherever they can. The team has also created a new and improved cycle park, in a secure area at the front of the College, to encourage families to leave their cars at home, wherever possible. The Sustainability Committee continues to focus on air quality improving projects and we now turn our attention to the

time families spend travelling to and from the College. Opening up pedestrian access routes on the east and west sides of our College site are scheduled into our programme of works, starting with access via Ravensbourne Court (this project will be particularly helpful to families and staff using the Catford Stations), followed by a similar project at Blythe Hill. These entrances/exits have resulted in many families being able to walk and cycle to school, avoiding the South Circular altogether. The College has also been working with local environmental experts RAFT on a range of projects including pupil workshops and future retrofit carbon reduction building works to reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency. There was also further work on our two outdoor ponds. The Senior School Ecology Club have been busy with the Ecology Pond, planting native species for the hedges and installing bird feeders. The students have also installed a camera to keep an eye on the wildlife.