Sustainability

At the David Ross Education Trust, we are committed to building a greener, more sustainable future for our students, staff and communities. Every academy plays a part in reducing our environmental impact and inspiring young people to take positive action for the planet. On this page, you’ll find our school’s Climate Action Plan along with updates on projects and activities that showcase how we are putting sustainability into practice.

Academy Climate Action Plan

the arbours climate action plan 20262027.pdf

Current Projects & Activities

Our Sustainability Projects

At The Arbours Primary Academy, we are committed to helping our pupils understand the importance of caring for our environment and making sustainable choices. We have developed a range of projects and opportunities that allow children to learn about sustainability through practical, meaningful experiences.

Developing our school environment

We have created a wildlife garden within our school grounds, providing a space for plants, insects and other wildlife. Children have also been involved in planting strawberries and trees, helping them to understand how plants grow and the importance of caring for living things.

We have established a Gardening Club, giving pupils the opportunity to grow plants, care for our outdoor spaces and develop practical gardening skills.

Learning through growing and nature

In January 2027, we will be taking part in the RHS Plants for Wellbeing project. Each class will have a plant to care for, giving children the opportunity to develop responsibility while exploring the links between plants, nature and wellbeing.

During 2025–2026, we also took part in the Cranfield University and Geographical Association Soils Project. This provided children with opportunities to investigate soil and develop their understanding of its importance to the environment, food production and the world around us.

 Learning from our community

We have invited a range of visitors into school to help children understand how sustainability works in the wider community. These have included:

• Northampton Wombles, who helped children explore litter picking and caring for their local environment.
• Veolia Orchard, supporting pupils to learn about waste, recycling and the environment.
• The Northampton General Hospital Sustainability Group, who shared how sustainability is considered within a large organisation and healthcare setting.

These experiences have helped children understand that everyone has a role to play in protecting our environment.

 Reducing waste and reusing resources

We have established a school recycling hub to encourage pupils and staff to think carefully about what happens to the things we throw away.

We have also introduced a school uniform trading rail, encouraging families to pass on good-quality uniform rather than buying new items. This supports reuse and helps reduce waste.

Our children have explored sustainability through creative art projects, using art to think about environmental issues, recycling, nature and how we can look after our planet.

 Making sustainable choices

Our school has taken part in Switch Off Fortnight, encouraging pupils to think about energy use and simple ways we can reduce wasted energy around school.

We have also participated in Walk to School Weeks, encouraging families to consider active and sustainable ways of travelling to school.

Developing pupil leadership

We have established an Eco Committee, giving pupils a voice in our school's sustainability work. Children are encouraged to identify environmental issues, suggest solutions and help lead positive changes within school.

Sustainability was also explored during our Geography Explorers Day, when pupils investigated climate change and developed their understanding of how human activity can affect our planet.

Looking ahead

Our sustainability work continues to grow. Through outdoor learning, pupil leadership, community partnerships, gardening, recycling and curriculum opportunities, we aim to develop children who understand their responsibility towards the environment and feel empowered to make a positive difference.

Our aim is to create a school community where sustainability is not just something children learn about, but something they actively take part in every day.