Sustainability and Climate Change at Paddock JIN School
What do we do?
At Paddock JIN 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 Katie Pearson, 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:
Sustainability and the Paddock JIN 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.
Modeshift Stars
School have been working closely with Kirklees Modeshift Stars and we are delighted to say we are working at 'Excellent' level.
This is because the school has successfully:
- Completed and evidenced 10 consultations
- Delivered and evidenced 25 travel initiatives
- Completed and evidenced 20 supporting initiatives
- Achieved the required reduction in red modes over the last 4 years
- Recorded 2 annual travel surveys within the last 4 years (including this academic year)
- Embedded the Travel Plan across working groups, curriculum, pupil voice and community engagement
Modeshift Stars recognise that the breadth of initiatives across walking, cycling, road safety, air quality, community engagement and curriculum delivery clearly demonstrates a sustained and embedded approach to active travel.
How can you get involved?
We know that sustainability starts at home too! Parents and carers can help by:
- Walking or cycling to school
- Donating unwanted school uniform, clothes, toys, and books
If you have ideas or would like to help, please contact our school office.