Cassop School – Making Cuts on CO2 is a Winner
Cassop Primary School, a school serving two former coal-mining villages in County
Durham, is set to become a model sustainable school for the UK and further afield.
Stimulated by growing international concern about climate change, in the late 90’s
the school decided to expand its environmental initiatives, and aim to become as
carbon neutral as possible.
Over the last eight years, a dedicated team of pupils, teachers, caretaker, parents,
energy companies and members of the wider community have transformed the
school into a pioneering Eco-School inspiring others to follow. Pupils at the school
have become the driving force promoting sustainable energy use in their community,
acting as Energy Monitors in the classroom and Eco Ambassadors demonstrating
their impressive knowledge and approach to local and overseas visitors.
The school has drastically cut its carbon emissions by using a host of renewable
sources and energy efficiency measures. A third of electricity needs are met by a
wind turbine erected in the school playing field, with surplus electricity going back to
the grid.
In the classroom, teachers have closely integrated energy theory and practise into
the school’s curriculum by analysing their energy consumption figures in maths
lessons, producing posters with ‘green’ messages in art classes etc.
Cassop has inspired many schools in the North-East and other organisations to
come and see renewable technology in action and learn from the school’s
experience. As Head Teacher, Mr Jim McManners explains: “The ethos of
sustainability is embedded in our school’s work and life. We have attempted to ‘live’
sustainability rather than to simply talk about it”.
The wind turbine was installed in the school field as a joint project with Durham
County Council and Northern Electric. Afterwards pupils led a consultation process in
the two villages the school serves, resulting in an astounding 90 percent support for
the installation, despite attempts from outside the area to influence the community
against it. The wind turbine installation produces 50,000 KW per annum – saving
122 tones of CO2.
According to David Ford, Chief Inspector, Durham County Council Education
Department: “The Local Authority considers that Cassop, as a practical test bed
illustration of what can be achieved, is a vital part of our drive to improve energy
sustainability across our community of schools.”
Cassop School’s energy initiatives:
Sustainable building: a 50 Kw wind turbine; array of 22 solar PV panels on school’s
South-facing roof with special access for viewing by visitors; wood-burning boiler
(biomass) replaced oil central heating using local waste wood; energy efficient
lighting; cavity wall insulation.
Energy Zone: interactive electronic display on the school’s energy consumption
designed by pupils and updated constantly used to help visiting school groups to
understand the energy systems. Using an innovative wireless, solar-powered device
the solar panel data is displayed in impressive graphs and figures.
Class Energy Monitors: pupils remind everyone to switch off what is not needed
and collect data on energy consumption using the interactive display. They also act
as informative guides to visitors interested in wind power and renewables. The
energy committee meet regularly to review what is being achieved and to suggest
improvements.
Environmental Extra: the school provides regular Sustainable Education visits (six
groups per term) so that interested local schools and other groups can experience
sustainable energy at first hand.
Global partnership: Cassop is linked up with a school in a remote village in semiarid Kenya, where climate change is having a direct impact on the pupils’ lives as
crops fail the community relies on food aid to survive. In 2003, Cassop supported the
installation of a solar PV lighting system for one of the classrooms – the village’s only
source of electricity.
European partnership: The school works with five European schools through the
British Council funded Comenius Project which encourages children to compare what
steps are being taken to tackle environmental issues in each country. Pupils have
visited renewable energy projects in Europe and have interviewed and questioned
politicians.
Cassop hopes to use the Ashden prize money to help extend the Environment Extra
programme: providing demonstration models of other renewable technologies;
producing new interactive displays and converting a classroom into a laboratory
dedicated to sustainable energy teaching.
Mr Jim McManners, Head Teacher, is available for interview, and some of the
children involved in the school’s energy initiatives.
Pupils at Cassop School with school’s wind turbine