18/03/2026
Last week we had Deborah Chatterjee and Sam Thomas from RAFT (Retrofit Action For Tomorrow) visit the school as part of the Great British Energy Solar Partnership Programme (GBESP) which is funded by the Department for Education.
GBESP is supporting the decarbonisation of over 70 schools and colleges in the Midlands, East of England and parts of London. A consortium of different organisations, including RAFT, is providing a comprehensive package of support to help guide schools and colleges through their sustainability journey.
The package includes: solar panels, LED lighting and electric vehicle charging points where viable. In addition, schools get help to reduce energy consumption (and therefore save money) and prepare for long-term sustainability planning.
RAFT came to the school to deliver the educational engagement part of the programme which empowers students and staff to take action towards sustainability and therefore work towards the government's goal of all schools to hit Net Zero by 2050.
As RAFT mentioned during their workshop they’re around 32,000 schools in the UK and because they emit so much energy they are all contributing to Climate Change.
A mix of students from years 7-11 were involved in the workshop and activities included using a thermal camera to identify heat loss and a visit to the boiler room!
