Climate Action and Sustainability Plan
Our Beliefs
At Shelton Junior School, our vision is simple: Trust, Learn, Succeed. We believe in fostering respect for everyone and everything around us — including our planet. Our Sustainability and Climate Action Plan for 2025 and beyond is rooted in these core values and reflects our commitment to a greener, fairer future.
Understanding Climate Change
What is Climate Change?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. While these changes can occur naturally, recent trends — especially since the mid-20th century — are largely driven by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels. This increases levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which trap heat and warm the planet.
Key contributors to climate change include:
- Greenhouse gases from transport, industry, and energy use
- Deforestation and land-use changes
- Damage to the ozone layer
- Various forms of air pollution
The challenge of climate change is formidable. For children and young people to meet it with determination, and not with despair, we must offer them not just truth, but also hope. Learners need to know the truth about climate change – through knowledge-rich education. They must also be given the hope that they can be agents of change, through hands-on activity and, as they progress, through guidance and programmes allowing them to pursue a green career pathway in their chosen field (DFE 2023).
What Are We Doing About It?
The Department for Education (DFE) has asked all schools to develop a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. This plan outlines how we, as a school community, will support national and global efforts to protect the planet.
At Shelton, we are committed to:
- Reducing our environmental footprint
- Working towards net zero emissions
- Equipping children and staff with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a green economy
- Helping restore and protect nature
Our pupils are passionate about the natural world. Through our plan, they will learn how to care for it, influence others, and take meaningful action.
Our Focus Areas
Our Climate Action Plan is shaped by the four key areas in the DFE’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy:
- Decarbonisation
Reducing carbon emissions
Improving energy efficiency across the school - Adaptation and Resilience
Preparing for climate impacts like flooding and overheating
Making our school environment safer and more sustainable - Biodiversity
Engaging with the National Education Nature Park
Enhancing green spaces and habitats in and around our school - Climate Education and Green Careers
Delivering high-quality teaching about climate change
Inspiring pupils to explore careers that help protect the planet
Connecting with Nature
We believe that early and regular contact with nature helps children value and protect it. Our plan ensures that pupils will:
- Spend time outdoors and learn about local ecosystems
- Take part in improving their school and community environment
- Understand how nature supports their physical and mental wellbeing
Learning Through Action
Climate adaptation and decarbonisation offer powerful learning opportunities. Our pupils will:
- Help implement climate-friendly changes in school
- Learn in buildings designed with sustainability in mind
- Explore how energy and water use affect the environment
- See sustainability in action — from solar panels to green spaces — making their learning real and relevant
Together for a Greener Future
Shelton Junior School is proud to be part of the movement for climate action. By working together — pupils, staff, families, and the wider community — we can make a lasting difference.
Let’s Trust, Learn and Succeed — for our planet and for future generations.