Sustainability
OUR VISION AND VALUES
Sustainability
As a school we are shaped by our values, which include looking after one another and our environment.
We believe that every student should understand the importance of looking after the world around them. So, whether that’s at school, home, the local community or across the world, our students will act now to make positive changes that impact future generations.
Green Team leads by example
Our Green Team share ideas and work together to enhance the school environment.
The team hold open forums where pupils can share their ideas and lead on new projects that will make a difference.
Some recent projects include:
- Building a bug hotel at the Upper school.
- Improving recycling and reducing plastic waste across the School.
- Working with the School catering team to develop vegetarian and vegan meal options that are popular among pupils.
Hard-working Eco Team at The Perse Prep
The Perse Prep’s Green Team will be working hard to make the school a cleaner, greener place. In their continued efforts to claim the Eco Schools Green Flag, they identify areas to focus on and strive to implement simple, yet effective, measures that could be taken to improve the school’s green approach.
As well as recycling, some recent examples of the Green Team’s work includes developing and maintaining a wild area where insects can roam undisturbed, building bug hotels and creating an option for collecting compost from break time snacks.
Sustainable buildings
We want our pupils to enjoy learning in state-of-the-art buildings that are also as environmentally friendly as possible.
New building projects in the school are undertaken with energy efficiency and environmental impact being included as top priorities. The school is also busy improving the energy efficiency of older buildings by improving insulation, installing new double-glazed windows and upgrading lighting to modern LED fittings.
The Perse Sports Centre, which opened in 2024, achieved a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating, including maximum credits for water efficiency due to the installation of a state-of-the-art microfiltration system.
The Upper School has a total of 176 solar PV panels across four of its buildings, generating energy which is used across the Upper site. The school has also installed four air source heat pumps.
In 2025, solar PV panels were added to the roof of the main hall at the Pelican.
The Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre (PAC), which opened in 2018, is a very environmentally friendly building with an A rating in its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The roof of the PAC includes a rainwater harvester, which collects around 500 litres of rainwater each year for the irrigation of plants on Ellison Court. It also benefits from two ground source heat pumps (GSHP), which generate an expected annual heat of 168,000 kWhth.
The Rouse Building (classics block) has a sedum roof that offers a habitat for butterflies and other insects.
The Upper and Abington sites each have a borehole and water storage tank. This water is used on the sports pitches during the summer months.
We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and doing all we can to ensure our buildings are sustainable for future generations to enjoy.
Alison Shakespeare, Perse Bursar
Open “Perse Sustainability Networking” as a PDF (11 pages, 33.6 MB)
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We would be delighted to show you around our Pelican, Prep, Upper or Sixth Form. Tours take place during the school day in term time.
