ESD

(ESD) Sustainability Policy Statement 

Queen of the Universe N.S.

All public service bodies are required under the Climate Action Plan to adhere to the Public Service Climate Action Mandate – and to develop Climate Action Roadmaps setting out how they will deliver on their energy efficiency and emission reduction targets.

Schools now have a separate Climate Action Mandate under which they are required to adopt a Sustainability Policy Statement. The School Sector Climate Action Mandate can be read in full here:  gov.ie - School Sector Climate Action Mandate (www.gov.ie)

The second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030 also informs the content of the following Sustainability Policy Statement template.  

ESD aims to ensure that “by 2030, all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development”. (Sustainable Development Goal 4.7)

The following has been prepared as part of the School Sector Climate Action Mandate, and in keeping with the principles and themes of ESD to 2030, and has been accepted by the Board of Management of our school.

Introduction

The purpose of this Sustainability Policy Statement is to outline how our school promotes sustainability and climate action, through our actions and activities. Sustainability can be defined as the ability to exist and develop without depleting natural resources for the future.

It is important for the school community of  Queen of the Universe N.S. to have an awareness and understanding of the effects of their actions upon the environment in which they live, work and relax. 

In order to do this, we need to take responsibility for our own actions and we need to have a sense of duty and care for the world in which we live. Through participation in the Green Schools programme, we ensure the pupils, staff and the wider community are made aware of the importance of taking care of our environment. 

Scope

Sustainability is a community issue and applies to all students, teachers and employees of our school. Parents and guardians should note, and where possible, promote, the Statement. The Board of Management of the school will ensure that decisions made in respect of the school align with the Statement.

Vision and values

We are very proud of our local area and appreciate the value our children add to their community. We try to empower them to be involved in their locality and to understand that they can play a part in creating a better community. We do this by giving them ownership and responsibilities for developments so that they realise that they can make a difference. This is part of our school’s journey to get children more connected with nature and their surroundings and be motivated to continue this contribution as they get older and in a more sustainable way. We hope that they will be inspired and will become involved as adults in making our community and environment better for all.

We are proud of our school’s achievements in this regard and are especially proud to have played our part in Bagenalstown (Bagenalstown Improvement Group-B.I.G.) winning the Endeavour Award for Carlow in 2018 & 2021 and the acknowledgement of our school’s input by the judges. 

Our school’s surrounding environment is full of concrete, tarmacadam and other hard landscape components. Our vision is to make our community, our school and the surrounding environment visually stimulating and to make a softer-landscape so that our children, our community and all the wildlife can benefit more from their environment. To enable this we focused on projects involving our children more directly in the community through all our ESD projects.

Our school’s vision : Queen of the Universe National School strives to create a happy, inclusive learning environment where every child is encouraged and enabled to develop their full and unique potential. We seek to help each child to develop as a social being, having respect for themselves and others and so, contribute to the good of society which is linked to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. This goal relates to ensuring that everyone has the resources they need to meet their needs, but consuming in a way that preserves the planet for future generations to use and enjoy. Queen of the Universe endeavours to manage natural resources, improving the way we dispose of food waste and reducing and recycling.

We value and encourage co-operation between pupils, parents, staff, management and the local community which is linked to the SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. This goal relates to ensuring that communities, both urban and rural, are made more sustainable such as efficient public transport, housing and access to healthcare and inclusive education for all.

Our school’s mission  is to actively engage students, staff and the community in developing a sustainable environment which fosters and inspires best practice and emphasises the importance of preparing and empowering individuals to become responsible for contributing to a sustainable future.

At Queen of the Universe N.S. we will strive to live in a way that has minimal impact on the environment. Our mission is to actively engage and educate students, staff and our wider community in developing a sustainable future for generations to come.

Whole School Approach to Sustainability

• Our school has adopted this Sustainability Policy Statement. It clearly details the aims and objectives of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in our school, its relationship to the vision and mission of the school.

• Our school recognises Education for Sustainable Development as a cross-curricular theme, and this is co-ordinated effectively in our school. 

• Opportunities are identified to introduce and address sustainability in the classroom, across all subjects.

• All our school policies are aligned to the principles of sustainable development.

• Resources to assist in the teaching of sustainability are adequate and sufficient at all levels.

• Our school keeps up to date with developments in ESD including by being registered for the quarterly ESD Newsletter https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/a1d6e-education-for-sustainable-development-newsletter/

Environmental sustainability

Green-Schools is an international environmental education programme, offering a well-defined, controllable way for schools to take environmental issues from the curriculum and apply them to the day-to-day running of their school. 

• Our school is part of the Green Schools Programme. Queen of the Universe has been awarded six green flags to date . Every year a Green Schools Committee is elected. Two teachers from the school lead the committee. They have regular meetings throughout the year to discuss Green school issues and to implement initiatives. They endeavour to gain as many Green Flags as possible through participation in each two year programme and to maintain the existing flags

• Our school engages with SEAI Education & Youth Programme’s curriculum linked energy Resources, pupil Workshops and teacher CPD 

Schools | Community Energy | SEAIhttps://www.seai.ie/community-energy/schools/ 

• Our school engages with the SEAI Energy in Education resources and energy management tools in order to monitor and report energy consumption.

• Our school engages with local community groups in the area of sustainable development 

• Litter/ waste activities in Queen of the Universe N.S.

• All classrooms and the staffroom have recycling bins for paper, plastic and tins/cans.

• Classrooms have a compost bin for fruit/ vegetable peels and pencil sharpenings. Our Harp Renewables Home Composter https://harprenewables.com/harp-home-composter/ is used to transform our food waste to nutrient-rich compost in 24 hours.

• Battery recycling boxes are located around the school for whole school use.

• Staff are aware of the environmental impact of photocopying and to only photocopy what is needed and to use double sided copying where possible.

• Children engage in recycled art projects

• Parents’ Council organise a clothing collection yearly

• Children litter pick on a rota basis and separate rubbish daily

• Energy Saving Activities in Queen of the Universe N.S.

• Lights and heat to be turned off when not needed/ not in use

• Laptops, chromebooks and interactive whiteboards to be placed on standby when not in use/ during breaks

• Staff only to photocopy what is needed and in black ink where possible

• Keep outside doors and windows shut when appropriate to save heat

• Ensure the school is well insulated and that the heat pump system is maintained and working efficiently

• Devices and switches to be turned off at the end of the day

• Some of the lighting is on a sensor which turns them off when not needed.

• Water Saving Activities in Queen of the Universe N.S.

• Ensure taps are not left on when not in use. Push taps used in the children’s toilets to eliminate waste

• Green buttons on the cistern for less water usage during the flush

• Each classroom to watch out for leaks

• Ensure the cleaners use minimum water required and that they use environmentally friendly products

• Sustainable Transport in Queen of the Universe's N.S.

Our school promotes sustainable transport including where possible, walking and cycling to school.

Our school engages with the Safe Routes to School programme:  https://greenschoolsireland.org/saferoutestoschool/.  We have 2 covered bicycle shelters and  Senior classes take part in Cycling lessons with Cycle Ireland each year as well as Bike Week activities to promote cycling and  Walk to School initiatives. 

We now have parking for scooters on site.

Our school engages with An Taisce and Green schools which subsidise a six week safe cycling course for one class per year

• Outdoor Learning/ biodiversity in Queen of the Universe's N.S.

-Our school actively promotes and fosters an attitude of care and responsibility towards the natural environment.  Our school promotes and facilitates outdoor learning through the development of our school garden where the children have planted herbs, potatoes, peas, pollinator friendly flowers etc to increase awareness around self sustainability and an understanding of where food comes from. 

-Queen of the Universe N.S.  keeps hens in a coop beside Room 11. The children are responsible for taking care of them and eggs are collected each day and used in weekly cooking lessons. 

- Regular visits are made to the local Community Garden, where the children are encouraged to learn how to use environmentally safe products and methods. Our school promotes and facilitates biodiversity eg, bug hotels.

-The school engages with the Heritage Council each year to provide workshops such as Bee Pollinators, creating a willow dome in the school garden, Willow weaving, Exploring nature in our local community

• Our school environment clearly displays information on sustainability and sustainable practices in prominent and accessible places.

• Our school actively promotes and fosters an attitude of care and responsibility towards the natural environment.  

• Our school engages with programmes that support and promote Environmental education. Some classes have taken part in the Picker Pals programme. 

Social Sustainability

• Our school ethos recognises the importance of and is sensitive to issues surrounding gender equity.

• Queen of the Universe N.S. strives to prepare students for life as citizens of a global community through the Fairtrade Ireland school resources. FAIR TRADE is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between some of the most disadvantaged farmers and workers in the developing world and the people who buy their products. When farmers and workers can sell on Fairtrade terms, it provides them with a better deal: an opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fairtrade offers us a powerful way to reduce poverty through our everyday shopping. 

• Our school engages with Global Citizenship Education programmes such as World Wise Global Schools https://www.worldwiseschools.ie/

• The needs of all students in recognition of differentiated physical or learning abilities, are taken into consideration and accommodated. 

• School staff are provided with the training in the area of conflict resolution, in order to support and affect positive student behaviour.

Economic Sustainability

• A non-competitive ethos of co-operation and sharing of resources is modelled in our school’s allocation of its resources.

• Students are involved in the decision-making process  within our school through the consultation with the Student Council and Green Schools Committee  

• Our school’s fund-raising activities reflect and actively demonstrate ethical and sustainable principles. 

• Our school buildings are maintained to a high standard, with best practise in the area of sustainability in mind.  

• The recent addition of the https://harprenewables.com/harp-home-composter/ has created a circular economy as we now use the organic compost produced from our food waste in this process as fertiliser for our school garden 

• Likewise, the eggs from our school hens are used to bake scones, that are sold to our staff and this money is then used to purchase their hen food-another circular economy.

Cultural Sustainability

• Our school ethos aims to foster students’ self-esteem, along with a mutual regard and respect for fellow students, and positive social interaction and relationships. 

• Our school ethos, in tandem with the curriculum, strives to prepare students for life in an increasingly multicultural society.

• Our school demonstrates a commitment to community engagement, and encourages the community’s involvement with the school through the Tidy Town project, Bagenalstown Improvement Group and the Credit Union Community Connect programme

• Our school has an active role in supporting cultural diversity both within the school itself, and in the wider school community.

Teacher Competence

• Our Teachers are supported in building their own capacity in the area of ESD by keeping updated on the National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.

Student Competence

• Our students are encouraged and supported to participate in peer to peer learning activities

• Our school has a  Green schools committee  who are involved in decisions about prioritising the needs of our school in our setting in the context of our goals

• Our students are encouraged to volunteer for local community action on sustainability projects

• Our schools are involved in project based learning around real-life problems in the local community

Goals

Our goal as a school is to achieve our green flag for Global citizenship, Energy by May 2025

Implementation and review

This Statement was implemented on January 2024 . To ensure our school strives to improve its work within sustainability and climate action, the Statement will be reviewed every 2 years.