It has been another exceptional year for sustainability across the school, with our community continuing to lead the way in environmental action. We were delighted to have received an award from Surrey County Council in recognition of our Eco Schools work and, for the second consecutive year, have achieved the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction.

One of our most significant achievements this year has been reducing the school's carbon footprint by 50%, cutting our emissions from 1,400 to 700 tonnes of CO₂e in just 12 months. This remarkable milestone reflects the collective efforts of pupils, staff and parents to make more sustainable choices across every aspect of school life.

A major highlight was hosting our first DoK ACES (Annual Children's Eco Summit), where pupils were inspired by renowned conservationist Ian Redmond OBE. Throughout the year, our dedicated Eco Committee has continued to meet regularly, driving a wide range of initiatives that have made a real difference.

Our commitment to biodiversity has grown through habitat mapping as part of the National Education Nature Park programme, the installation of bug hotels, bird feeders and hedgehog houses, and improvements to our outdoor spaces. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) work has also enhanced the front pitch, while greater use of the school grounds and The Burrow has encouraged more outdoor learning.

Behind the scenes, we've reduced our environmental impact by purchasing refurbished IT equipment wherever possible, introduced power-down routines, reduced printing through a print release system, banned microplastic glitter, reduced meat consumption in the kitchen and encouraged everyone to unsubscribe from unwanted junk emails. Pupils have also embraced simple but effective habits, such as switching off lights, closing windows and recycling more carefully.

Looking ahead, we will continue to build on this momentum by developing a regular walking bus from Walking Bottom car park over Pitch Hill, introducing a no-idling policy in the top car park supported by air quality monitoring, fundraising for a solar panel canopy to create a new outdoor learning space and investigating green roofing solutions for the swimming pool. We aim to continue to reduce food waste, expand our gardening and outdoor learning opportunities, introduce a strict laminating reduction policy and strengthen partnerships with local schools and the Wildlife Trust.

Together, we continue to show that ambitious goals and everyday actions can deliver meaningful change. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making our school one of Surrey's leading champions for sustainability—we look forward to achieving even more together.