Marking An Anniversary

Blackheath High School announced it has exceeded the 140 environmental pledges set to mark the school’s 140th anniversary just six months since the initiative launched. 

Designating 2020 as its Year of Promise, Blackheath High School committed to making 140 environmental pledges throughout the year.  

The pledges range from bamboo bicycle making workshops to the study of ocean plastics. 

These pledges form the cornerstone of Blackheath High’s wider sustainability drive encouraging students to consider their impact on the environment. 

In working towards a sustainable environment, an area their students feel passionate about, Blackheath High implemented a number of innovative activities to teach students how creative solutions to global challenges can be.

These individual and collective environmental pledges have continued despite the current health crisis with students and staff alike adapting their promises to their current situation. 

Inspired by their location alongside the National Maritime museum and the River Thames, Blackheath High has introduced a variety of pledges which focus on reducing the impact of human activity on the world’s rivers and oceans. 

One such pledge has seen Blackheath High adopt the study of ocean plastics to the curriculum. Partnering with Common Seas, the school launched an Oceans Plastics Academy where pupils learn about the impact of ocean plastics and assess the social, environmental and economic costs. 

Each individual and collective pledge has been designed to preserve, improve and positively contribute to the national environment. These include not buying into fast fashion, not using single use plastic, buying local food produce, prioritising home/business recycling and reducing food waste.

‘When we set the goal of 140 pledges I had never considered that we would be celebrating reaching this goal so early on,’ said Mrs Carol Chandler-Thompson, headmistress. ‘The girls’ ability to adapt to the difficulties brought on by the coronavirus crisis shows that the environmental challenge we face is a collective one, and our commitment to making the world a better place can thrive even in the most challenging times.

‘Our Year of Promise ties into Blackheath High’s history of being committed to the benefit and success of our community and I am glad to see these core values remain as strong today as they were 140 years ago.’

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