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Environmental Strategy

We are truly committed to our environmental responsibilities and are working in collaboration with the GDST to become a ‘net zero’ school by 2030. The GDST is already ‘carbon neutral’ as an organisation, in accordance with ‘The Carbon Neutral Protocol’; this has been achieved through various global sustainability projects and by adhering to the ‘International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance’ standards.

Northwood College for Girls is taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint to achieve a net zero outcome, as well as, to reduce our overall impact on the environment through a multifaceted approach as outlined below:

    • NWC’s electrical provider only uses renewable sources to generate electricity. This means that all of our electrical usage at school is carbon neutral. 
    • Our new staff car park is complete with electric car charging points, encouraging our staff to come to school in electric cars. 
    • We have installed solar panels have been installed on our new Science building, The Alvarium, and will install more on the roof of our Sport’s Complex. 
    • Our school is committed to reducing its carbon footprint on school trips by taking public transport instead of coaches where possible.
    • Our site staff have conducted a carbon audit to gauge the main areas where heat is being lost.
    • Biodiversity has been increased through the planting of various bushes from The Woodland Trust on previous patches of grass around the school site.
    • Junior and Senior Eco Clubs are involved in planting two vertical gardens.
    • Plants in all classrooms encourage biophilia and a feeling of being in touch with nature when inside the school buildings.
    • Biodegradable bird feeders are made every winter to help our feathered friends through the colder months.
    • Six members of teaching and professional staff have attended the UN EduCCate course, which has resulted in us being awarded Bronze Award UN EduCCate certification.
    • We have been awarded the Green Flag.
    • ‘Teach the Teacher’ INSET delivered to staff with Year 12 and 13 Eco Prefects presenting an outstanding session on how to discuss climate change. 
    • Embedding of environmental issues and discussion throughout the junior and senior curriculums, across all subjects.
    • STEM lessons specifically incorporate problem solving tasks where reducing environmental impact is always a serious consideration.
    • NWC hosted an inter-school MOCK COP26 where four local schools were invited to discuss and strategise practical ways of reducing our impact on Climate Change. The inter school conference was delivered by the organisation ‘Interclimate’.
    • Presentation to the whole school by Surplus to Purpose, explaining the problem of surplus food supplies being wasted in the UK.
    • ‘Earth Day’ video made by our new Eco Prefect Armita in Year 12:
    • A programme of raising awareness about the importance of recycling single use plastics, and avoiding using them at all, has been delivered by Eco Prefects from Years 7-13. This involved improved signage on bins in classrooms and education of where the school’s waste goes.
    • Pen recycling is encouraged through the Terracycle programme. 
    • Reducing plastic waste at point of consumer in the school canteen and completely eliminating the use of single use plastic water bottles.
    • Reducing food waste by scraping food to encourage behaviour change.
    • Recycle to read to encourage awareness of plastic waste from toys and encouraging recycling of toys where possible. 
    • Having one day a week which is ‘meat free’ is encouraging pupils to develop habits to reduce their meat consumption, which is known to have a massive carbon footprint.
    • Collaboration between Eco Prefects and the Textiles department had an ‘Upcycled Fashion Show’ to encourage girls to move away from the concept of fast fashion. In line with this, the initiation of a ‘thrift shop’ to encourage girls to reuse clothes rather than sending them to landfill.
    • Eco prefects conducted surveys of lights left on in empty classrooms, as well as, of leaking taps and passed this information onto site staff to rectify. 
    • Surplus to Purpose chefs, working in collaboration with our caterer Thomas Franks creating a delicious lunch for staff and pupils, with about 80% of the food sourced from surplus food supplies, that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
    • A Meat-free Monday initiative was introduced at Northwood College for Girls thanks to our caterers, Thomas Franks.
    • Reduction of plastic at the point of consumer; aiming for zero plastic in the near future.
    • Surplus to Purpose chefs, working in collaboration with our caterer Thomas Franks created a delicious lunch for staff and pupils, with around 80% of the food sourced from surplus food supplies, that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

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