Education for Social Responsibility (ESR)
Education for Social Responsibility (ESR)
Why is ESR important?
We believe in preparing our children to be well-rounded citizens of whom we can all be proud of; enabling our children to flourish in an ever-changing world. We believe in having the children at the heart of everything we do, and part of that is enabling our children to be life-long learners and prepared for their future. As part of this, we offer an ESR (Education for Social Responsibility) curriculum which gives children the knowledge and understanding about the world in which we live. There are extensive ground and facilities to support a broad and balanced curriculum with plenty of opportunities for outdoor learning.
ESR is vital for our pupils to acquire the knowledge and skills that will support and enable them as life-long learners to make a difference on a local, national and international scale. The world is changing at a rapid pace and we need to ensure that our children are prepared for the world of tomorrow; this is why our strap-line is, ‘Education for a Changing World’.
Sustainability is at the heart of our building as a net-zero, Passivhaus school. It is also central in our curriculum too with dedicated ESR sessions in Year 1-4 as well as thematic days and weeks spread throughout the school calendar.
All our houses groups are also named after inspiration people who are icons in the world of sustainability House System - Buntingford First School
When is ESR taught?
ESR is taught through thematic units in the Early Years. This then progresses to weekly ESR sessions in years 1-4.
How is ESR taught?
ESR is taught through seven different overarching strands. Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom.
What do we learn about in ESR?
We have seven different strands which are taught in Key Stage 1 and then built upon in lower Key Stage 2. In addition to this we also learn about our unique building and why it is so special in terms of its sustainability.
We learn about Ethical Trading; Fulfilled Lives; Ecosystems; Climate Change; Water Scarcity; Biodiversity; Finite Planet as well as learning about our own school building.
We are very lucky to be the first school in Hertfordshire to be built as a net-zero school. Around the school you will see different signs that explain the features of our building and how they enable us to be more energy efficient.
How do we assess and monitor ESR?
ESR work is summarised in our floor books. Each class has a floor book that celebrates the learning we do around sustainability. Children also get the opportunity to share their learning in assemblies, the school newsletter and with the wider community.
Forest School
As part of our curriculum, the children also have forest school sessions. Further details of this wonderful provision can be found on our Forest School - Subjects - Buntingford First School page.
Our Sustainability Journey
Please see Sustainability at BFS - Buntingford First School for examples of how we support our learning about sustainability here at Buntingford First School.
Eco-Committee
We are lucky to have a group of dedicated pupils who care passionately about our environment. Miss Hunter meets regularly with the group to facilitate their ideas about the development of sustainability at our school.
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Eco School Award - Green Flag with Merit
We are delighted to share that the school has now been awarded the higher Green Flag with Merit award for our work on sustainability.
Our eco committee have worked hard to collect evidence of our efforts. Every single student has contributed to our work in their Education for Social Responsibility (ESR) lessons. Saving the planet is everyone’s responsibility! Here are some highlights from our feedback…
"It was amazing to see that all of the Eco-Committee participated in completing the Environmental Review. And that they all had a voice and their many comments were recorded. Even though you have a brand new carbon neutral school, your young Eco-Committee was still able to find areas of improvement."
"The Action Plan you have submitted has fun and engaging learning experience for little ones. This is a great approach to foster a long-term interest from an early age. The bee corridor and the pond sound like great projects."
"Your curriculum links come from a variety of subject areas, they’re very good examples of innovative and engaging environmental education!"
"It was super to learn that the children are more aware of their individual impact and how they can make a difference."
"We are more than happy to read that your greatest success is the enthusiasm of the students and the support from the parents. You can achieve so much when you have so much positivity."
T H A N K Y O U to all of our Buntingford families for your support.
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Green Tree Awards
Buntingford First School has been awarded the bronze and silver level Green Tree School's Award. The award, from The Woodland Trust, encourages outdoor learning and inspires pupils about trees, woods and wildlife. Schools are rewarded for doing environmental projects such as tree planting, reducing CO2 emissions and visiting local woods. Over 14,000 schools are taking action to help the environment. To achieve the Bronze Award, we needed to elect our own tree mascot, Chico the red panda, show that we are a net-zero carbon school and learn about the importance of planting new trees.
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Good Travel Plan
We are please to share we have achieved our 'Good Travel Plan' in conjunction with Hertfordshire County Council which shows our commitment to promoting safe and active travel.
Sustainability and Climate Action Strategy
In September 2023, we opened our doors to children aged 3–9 with a clear vision: to provide an excellent education in a school that lives its values. From the outset, sustainability has been at our core.
We are proud to be the first net zero carbon school in the county, designed and built to the internationally recognised Passivhaus standard. Our building is energy-efficient, comfortable and healthy, showing that schools can support both people and planet.
This Climate Action Plan sets out how we will extend that commitment beyond our walls, focusing on four priorities:
- Climate Education and Green Careers, through our Education for Social Responsibility (ESR) curriculum
-Improving the Environment and Biodiversity, including the development of a dedicated wildlife area.
-Adaptation and Resilience, preparing our school and pupils for a changing climate.
-Decarbonisation, reducing energy use and cutting carbon emissions.
This is education for a changing world.
