Environmental Sustainability Policy

Environmental Sustainability Policy

At Rabbit Patch Day Nursery we wish to support children to learn about sustainable practices and foster respect and care for the living and non-living environment.

Children are able to develop positive attitudes and values about sustainable practices by exploring solutions to environmental issues, learning about the world around them and how to protect it and watching adults role model sustainable practices.

We promote a holistic, open-ended curriculum which explores ideas and practices for environmental sustainability and helps children understand the interdependence between people and the environment by:

• Helping children to explore nature through art and play
• Supporting children to experience the natural environment through natural materials like wood, stone, sand and recycled materials
• Supporting the environment by learning how to grow and nurture plants in the nursery garden and discovering all about the food cycle by growing, harvesting and cooking food for our nursery menu
• Helping children to learn about water conservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction through play-based activities and adult interactions
• Going on nature walks and learning about plants they see in the local area
• Encouraging parents and children to regularly walk to nursery to raise the awareness of caring for the planet
• Developing a recycling area and encouraging children to share a recycling ethos in the home environment.

As a nursery we will embed sustainability into all aspects of the operations including:

• Recycling materials for art and creative activities and encouraging parents to bring in their recycling materials for the same use
• Ensuring parents recycle children’s take-home recycled material models, if they do not keep them
• Considering our carbon footprint when purchasing materials
• Shopping local where possible
• Turning off equipment and lights when not in use

• Using energy saving light bulbs
• Not leaving any equipment on standby
• Unplugging all equipment at the end of its use/the day
• Using energy saving wash cycles on the washing machine
• Hanging washing out to dry and/or using clothes horses rather than tumble dryers where possible
• Composting food waste
• Incorporating water-wise strategies such as ensuring taps are turned off and leaks fixed
• Using potable water rainwater butts for outdoor water play
• Recycling water from the water play to water plants outside
• Using food that we have grown in nursery meals.

Working together with all our parents and partners will help our environment to be more sustainable and make it a better place for our future generations to grow up in.

We assess our nursery’s impact on the environment on a regular basis and put procedures in place to counteract this impact.

In order to encourage children not to waste food or to play with food at mealtimes, we discourage the use of food as a play material; instead, we encourage activities which involve preparing and tasting different types of food.

This policy is reviewed annually and is carefully considered in the best interests of the children, nursery and the environment.