Greener Henley Schools Climate Action Network

TEN schools — Gillotts, Rupert House, Piggott and Sacred Heart, Checkendon, Frieth, Watlington, Sonning, The Heights and Sonning Common primaries — as well as The Henley College gathered online for a Schools Climate Action Network meeting on February 6, organised by Greener Henley.

The session featured a demonstration by Claudia Towner, founder of Energy Sparks, an innovative energy management platform designed to help schools reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs but also actively engage their pupils in energy-saving activities.

The meeting brought together headteachers, finance managers, eco-leaders, science teachers and parent-governors who are committed to making their schools more energy efficient.

Attendees learned how Energy Sparks’ system provides real-time data to track energy usage and identify opportunities to cut waste.

Claudia revealed that savings for larger campuses at secondary level can be up to £20,000 per year.

Eamonn Egan, principal of The Henley College, shared how it has already implemented energy-saving measures as a result of being in the network.

He said: “We have changed all our lighting to LED lighting, reducing our carbon footprint considerably, and we are holding a science fair on March 5 to demonstrate the effects of pollution on the environment.

“Our biggest challenge is that we have an aging estate and the cost of upgrading it be more sustainable.”

Alison Michael, from Gillotts, said the school had employed the services of Energy Sparks and was using the data and acting on advice to adjust the timings of its heating systems.

Working with Energy Sparks and across the site to put in place more sustainable practices, for example sending food waste to be recycled, had earned Gillotts a Green Flag with merit status.

Mrs Michael said: “It has been a great help to have the Green Flag award to help us focus our efforts.

“The students discuss the topics they want to focus on and then decide actions the school can take.

“In the past we have focused on litter and recycling, energy and biodiversity and these have helped us to raise the profile of sustainable actions that we can take in school and at home.

“It is a great scheme with lots of support. It costs £200 with a reduction if you get some parts completed early.”

Richard Winder, parent-governor at Sacred Heart: “We’re exploring partnership opportunities around carbon measurement and reductions, energy efficiency, on-site generation and climate education for our pupils.

“There are some brilliant resources out there and showing leadership in this area would sit well with our strategy to inspire our children’s hearts, minds and horizons.

“Cost and resource is always a challenge so we’re looking for support from climate- and community-minded partners.”

The network is committed to ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing among schools in the Henley area.

The project supports schools in navigating the complexities of bringing down their considerable energy costs as well as becoming more sustainable learning environments that foster a sense of responsibility and custodianship for the natural world among their pupils.

The network creates a safe space for sustainability leaders in the education field to share successes and challenges on their journey and holds them accountable for their stated goals.

It also offers an opportunity to link them to services and resources that support the creation and development of their climate and nature action plans, which we hope to publish later this year.

By partnering with the likes of Energy Sparks, Lets Go Zero and others, schools can more easily access the information they need to design a more sustainable future for their schools and cut costs at the same time.

Ruth Hurlock, project manager