Sustainability at West Buckland School
Building Bridges to a Greener Future: Inform, Inspire, Achieve
3000+
Trees planted
410kW
Capability of Solar panels installed (2023). Currently one of the largest in a UK school
100
Acres of nature-friendly grounds, including a medieval drover lane with it’s own eco-system
BIOMASS
Heating introduced (2015), powering many of the estate buildings for heat and light
FOOD WASTE
Focus on reducing food waste, just one of the many ways we give agency to students and staff to make a difference
Our Solar Panels
Key Projects and Achievements
Enhancing Biodiversity
Wildflower Meadow Projects
2019
Strip planted in front of 150 building by Y8 and Y12 WEBS group, creating a wildlife corridor.
2020
Extended to whole wildflower meadow in front of 150 building, creating a rich, biodiverse meadow including Narcissus pseudonarcissus, Rhinanthus minor, Achillea millefolium, Leucanthemum vulgare, as well as plug plants.
The intention is to establish a flower rich habitat to mimic an old-fashioned Devon hay meadow, an important wildlife habitat that has seen declines of over 90% over the last 100 years.
2021-22
The field adjacent to East Buckland Cross has been established as a hay meadow.
2022
Queen Elizabeth Garden Project began. Yr 7 and 8 work towards their John Muir Award which involves some conservation tasks on the school grounds – this includes tree planting, tree care and wildlife habitat creation.
Hedge management – three-year rotation on some areas, reduced hedge trimming to every other year
2024
A new drover lane is being created, with tree planting to connect the current Hatriss Lane (medieaval drover lane) to the wooded area that houses the observatory. 320 new trees planted.
2025…
Trees planted around the solar panel field with plans for 320 new trees each year for 2 years.
Tree Planting Initiatives
320
Trees planted in 2018
840
Trees planted in 2019
420
Trees planted in 2021
320
Trees planted each year for the next 3 years
Biodiversity Surveys
We have installed owl observatories, using movement activated cameras to record activity, identifying we have resident Barn Owls on site.
Bat surveys recorded the presence of many species of bat on the school grounds. The common pipistrelle was recorded most frequently and is one of the UK’s smallest, and most commonly sighted bats, and we also had visits from serotines, noctules, and many more.
The survey was conducted in 2018 as part of the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project, led by the Devon Wildlife Trust and with the support of many other local organisations.
Student and Community Engagement
Programmes and Events
Sustainability Goals for 2025 and Beyond
There is so much more to our sustainability program within the school – too much to include on an introductory web-page. Below we list just a few of our future plans and initiatives and we look forward to updating you further on our progress.
2025 Festival at West Buckland School
Plan-It Eco will be taking place for the first time this June, in conjunction with other schools across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. The aim of the day is to encourage young people, teachers and schools to continue to grow in their understanding and drive to create a sustainable future for our wonderful planet.
Further Plans for 2025
- 320 trees planted each year for 3 years to connect Hatriss Lane to woodland area.
- Expanding biodiversity and sustainability projects.
- Commitment to renewable energy and reduced carbon footprint.
Further exciting plans being finalised – we look forward to sharing them with you soon
🌱 The Prep School Gardening & Conservation Club is back in full bloom! 🌸 This week, our prep pupils, with guidance and support from Sixth Formers, harvested fresh produce from the school garden. Together, they enjoyed picking beautiful flowers to take home and sampling homegrown cucumbers, tomatoes, chard – and even a chilli! 🌶️
This collaborative initiative highlights the importance of our Sixth Formers mentoring younger pupils, fostering community spirit, teamwork and a shared passion for sustainability.
#GrowingTogether #MentorshipInAction #SchoolCommunity #Respect #kindness #curiosity #sustainability
We are so excited to announce that we have been chosen as finalists in the @muddystilettos Best Schools Award for Championing Sustainability!
#muddystilettos #bestschoolsawards #Sustainability #sustainabilitymatters
