Birkby Junior School

At Birkby Junior School, we believe every child should grow up understanding and respecting the world around them. From saving energy to protecting wildlife, we are committed to helping our pupils become responsible, environmentally conscious citizens of the future.

We are proud to support the UK Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. This means we are working towards:

• Reducing our school’s carbon footprint
• Supporting nature and biodiversity
• Preparing children to thrive in a changing world

Our approach isn’t just about one-off activities—it’s about weaving sustainability into everything we do, from how we teach to how we run our school.

Read more about the government’s strategy here

We are taking practical steps to make sustainability part of daily school life. These include:

• Our Sustainability Lead is Mrs Susan Davis, Head Teacher
• We have developed a Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan to guide how we reduce energy use, waste, and emissions across the school. This can be viewed below:

BJS Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan

• Our School Travel Plan outlines how we support safe, active, and eco-friendly travel for all students. By encouraging walking, cycling, scooting, carpooling, and safe use of public transport, we aim to create a healthier community and reduce traffic around the school. This plan has been accredited as 'excellent' by Modeshift Stars and can be viewed below:

BJS School Travel Plan

Sustainability and the Birkby Junior School Curriculum

Sustainability isn’t just something we talk about—it’s something we teach and experience across many subjects:

• Science – children explore ecosystems, materials, energy, and environmental changes
• Geography – pupils learn about climate, weather, land use, and global environmental issues
• Cross-Curricular Links – eco-topics are linked into writing, art, design, and our Environmental Day

Our curriculum supports the national aim to increase climate literacy and help children develop the knowledge and skills needed to care for the planet.