Environmental education allows children to apply their learning to the real world, engaging them in their studies and sparking a genuine curiosity for knowledge. This is why, at North Bridge House, we extend our commitment to sustainability far beyond World Environment Day and instead position sustainability at the centre of children’s thinking. In the Pre-Prep School, environmental studies is not only embedded into the Early Years and Key Stage 1 curriculum, but into the children’s whole school experience — from STEM to Gardening Club, Forest School to fundraising. Sustainability studies have been proven to enhance critical and creative thinking skills, thus boosting overall academic attainment, and our Pre-Prep children continue to exceed the national average for English and maths by 25 per cent and 30 per cent respectively by the time they complete Year 2. 

 

Aside from results, it is now more important than ever to promote children’s awareness of environmental issues and their interest in caring for our planet. From Reception, NBH children are immersed in a wealth of outdoor learning opportunities which build their affinity with the natural world and promote their physical and mental wellbeing. This helps to address some of the issues we see in children today —  such as obesity, attention deficit and mental health disorders —  at the same time as opening their eyes to the climate crisis. 

 

Forest School has been embedded into the Pre-Prep curriculum, making this child-centred learning experience not just an educational day out, but a key tool in helping to develop concepts and skills learnt in the classroom. Woodland presents the perfect environment in which to experiment and problem-solve, build new vocabulary and even understand the properties of different shapes and materials.

 

Our committee of Pre-Prep ‘Eco Warriors’ also work alongside the School Council to improve the sustainability of the school environment and to champion green initiatives, such as the planting of forests in devastated areas of the world. Whether they are building bug hotels for the school garden or contributing to global fundraising efforts, our children are gaining a sense of place and connection through community involvement, as well as a sense of responsibility for our most valuable resource —  our planet.

 

As part of our extra-curricular offering, Gardening Club is an opportunity for pupils to have a hands-on connection with nature. Our Pre-Prep gardeners have already received their Level One Certificate of Achievement in the Royal Horticultural School Gardening Awards and are now working towards their Level Two award. From thinking about sustainable food consumption and growing their own produce, to using a wormery to recycle waste from the school kitchen and produce a rich compost in which to grow their vegetables, the children are developing lifelong sustainable habits. Sustainable thinking becomes second nature for the children and informs their day-to-day decision making, problem-solving and creativity.

 

Embedding a sustainable mindset in young people empowers them to understand the impact of their footprint in the physical world around them as well as environmental matters on a global scale. We encourage life-based learning in every aspect of our children’s academic and personal growth, with sustainability being just one area of this rich and diverse education.