Oundle School

Oundle School is delighted to be working with iiE to help meet the aims and objectives of its environmental strategy. These include:

• Setting a clearly defined sustainable development target based on an understanding of current performance
• Engaging pupils and staff and encouraging behavioural changes
• Develop a responsible use of energy, improving energy efficiency and giving preference to renewable energy where possible.

Founded in 1556, Oundle School is one of Britain’s leading co-educational independent schools with a full boarding ethos, situated in the charming market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire. It is home to around 850 boarders and 270 day pupils, with its buildings, dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries, dispersed throughout the town.

Sarah Kerr-Dineen, Head of Oundle School commented:

“As a school, we are educating the citizens of tomorrow who will take their place across the globe in a range of roles, from domestic users of energy to employees, employers, policymakers and leaders. We are committed to ensuring that our curriculum supports our pupils’ understanding of the issues and their own role in strongly reducing emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

As an organisation, we are committed to ensuring that we model ways to reduce emissions across the School, including in our boarding Houses. Oundle is a significant user of energy and we therefore have a duty to identify and seek to solve any obstacles currently limiting our ability to reduce carbon emissions. We have a responsibility to face the reality of human impact on global warming and to do our bit to take positive action against climate change.

As an employer, we have the means to engage with a staff of up to 800 people in changing infrastructure and practices so that we can contribute to the UK’s stated national aim of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We have the scope also to support each individual staff member in making choices that will enable them to reduce their own carbon emissions beyond the workplace.

Achieving environmental sustainability must be a shared endeavour across the world if the necessary progress is to be made. It is the responsibility of every single member of the School community to take both individual and collective action towards a net zero goal in a determined, consistent and single-minded way.”