Learn Today; Sustain Tomorrow.
Last week we welcomed Debbie Bale from Hubba, our waste removal service provider, to Orchard House School for a highly engaging and informative Waste Workshop. The session brought together our Year 6 Eco Prefects and Student Council representatives from Year 1 upwards, offering our pupils the opportunity to deepen their understanding of waste, recycling and the small choices that make a meaningful difference every day.
During the workshop, pupils learned about the different types of recycling, how waste is processed, and which bins should be used for various materials. The session encouraged thoughtful questioning and lively discussion, helping children to see waste not as something that simply “disappears”, but as part of a wider system in which they play an important role. Debbie introduced the concept of a circular economy to our pupils, and stressed that the first step when it comes to waste and sustainable disposal practices should be to “refuse to use.” After a brilliant presentation, the pupils split into mixed year group teams and were tasked with sorting through a variety of different products to decide how they should be disposed of correctly. Our Eco Prefects and Student Council members will now take this learning back to their classes, sharing key messages as part of our continued, whole-school effort to reduce waste and live more sustainably.
This workshop is one example of how sustainability is woven into daily life at Orchard House. Environmental responsibility is not treated as a one-off topic or an isolated lesson, but as a shared, lived experience across our school community. Each of our school sites features a wormery, fed using the food waste bins located in every classroom. Food scraps, tea bags and coffee granules are transformed by worms into nutrient-rich compost, which is then used to enrich our school gardens. This closed-loop system allows pupils to see sustainability in action, from plate to soil to planting.
Our classrooms also reflect this commitment. Every room has an indoor plant, and we make the most of planting opportunities throughout our outdoor spaces. Bat boxes, swift boxes and bug hotels encourage habitats for local wildlife, helping pupils to understand biodiversity not as an abstract concept, but as something that thrives right around them.
Sustainability at Orchard House extends well beyond our school grounds.
Pupils regularly take part in litter-picking in the local area and help to plant, tend and harvest our community garden in Acton Park where we grow vegetables, herbs and flowers. We also work closely with families to encourage sustainable habits at home, offering initiatives such as battery recycling at school and regular Walk to School days, reinforcing the idea that small, consistent actions add up to lasting change.
Environmental awareness is also embedded across our curriculum: The Learning Orchard. In STEM, pupils engage in projects such as the Great Plastics Challenge, where they explore plastic waste and develop innovative solutions, and the Solar Challenge, which invites them to design solar circuits to support rural communities. These projects encourage problem-solving, creativity and global awareness. Our English curriculum complements this work through carefully chosen texts that promote environmental understanding and empathy, ensuring pupils develop a well-rounded and thoughtful approach to sustainability.
We are also proud to be an accredited Eco School and to have been awarded the internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction in 2025.
We are also proud to be an accredited Eco School and to have been awarded the internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction in 2025.Over the past year, pupils have played a leading role in driving our eco-initiatives, forming an Eco-Committee led by passionate Eco Prefects, conducting an Environmental Review, and implementing an action plan focused on biodiversity, energy, waste reduction and global citizenship. This award recognises not only our progress, but the collective effort of pupils, staff and families working together with purpose. Our Eco-Committee, spearheaded by our Head of Science & Sustainability Mrs Nicola McWeeney, helps integrate sustainability across our school and share best practice with our community. Over the course of the academic year, our Eco Prefects will run a sustainability session with every year group, covering a range of topics. The latest session was with our Reception pupils who learned all about birds and the small things we can do to help protect their natural habitats.
Today’s Waste Workshop was a valuable reminder that meaningful change starts with understanding. By empowering pupils with knowledge, responsibility and real opportunities to act, we aim to nurture environmentally conscious young people who care deeply about the world around them and feel confident in their ability to protect it.
We are very grateful to Debbie and the team at Hubba for delivering such an engaging workshop and for their ongoing collaboration with our school. Together, we continue to take thoughtful steps towards a more sustainable future.
Learn Today; Sustain Tomorrow
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