On 31st October, LEO Academy Trust were delighted to welcome over 350 guests, trustees, governors and members of staff to our 2022 conference, following the theme of ‘Sustainability’. Throughout the day, we provided practical ideas to support the implementation of our new Sustainability Strategy- with a commitment to becoming Carbon Net Zero by 2030. 

We were honoured to have local artist, Doug Shaw, there to capture the day by illustrating the key messages that were discussed by keynote speakers and LEO Academy Trust staff.

Throughout the day, we heard from keynote speakers Ayo Sokale, Henry Greenwood, Harriet Marshall, and Marino Charalambous- who all raised some interesting discussions on how we can build a better future, today. 

This year, we have worked with Acer to find a more sustainable way to deliver our 1:1 Chromebook Programme. We were lucky to hear from Nick Walter, Head of Education at Acer UK, share their Sustainability Research report and vision to drive change through innovation. 

Children from across LEO Academy Trust also appeared on stage, presenting to all of our guests about what they are doing in and out of school to be more sustainable. They also shared with us why sustainability is important to them, and delivered messages to the grownups about how they can create a better planet for future generations. It was a proud moment, seeing the passion and enthusiasm of the pupils as well as the confidence to speak in front of such a large audience.

It was exciting to hear an amazing performance from the Manor Park Junk Percussion Band, supported by ​​Donal O'Neill from Rhythm Life Music Workshops. Using buckets, pans, water jugs, and more, the children found a new purpose for items which would have otherwise been disposed of. It was lovely to see how the pupils found new life for ‘junk’ items and turned them into musical instruments for a wonderful performance!

There were two sessions of workshops offered in the afternoon, where we heard from a wide range of facilitators. We were delighted to welcome Matt Larsen-Daw, Lucy Johnson, Catia Squarcia, Phil Hutton, Henry Greenwood, Lucy Harbor, Stella Baynes, Paul Vare, Harriet Marshall, Faiqa Amreen, and Serdar Ferit to host a wide range of workshops which helped all of our guests fully understand the importance of making an effort to be more sustainable. 

Green School’s Project, who run the Zero Carbon Schools Programme which LEO Academy Trust have been involved with since last year, commented on the day, quoting: “It was fantastic to see an academy trust taking sustainability so seriously and using it as a tool to improve education at all levels in their schools.”

Sustainability is a key focus across our curriculum, and we continue to teach respect for the natural environment and resources. All LEO pupils attend Forest School, where we encourage green skills. We offer a rich programme of trips relating to sustainability, and involve pupils directly through our Eco Defenders committee to provide pupils with opportunities to action real change. 

LEO Academy Trust aspires to be a leader in sustainability. We want to motivate all of our students, staff, and visitors across all of our academies to follow a forward-thinking approach towards protecting our environment - for now and for future generations. 

Thank you to everyone who helped to make our 2022 conference a huge success. The superb participation from all staff, governors, and trustees throughout the day was the perfect way to deepen our commitment to climate change action at LEO Academy Trust.

To learn more about what we are doing to be an eco-friendly family of schools, please click here.