Green Dunottar

At Dunottar we embrace our responsibility for environmental protection locally, nationally and globally and recognise the importance of integrating this responsibility into our pupils’ education. We are committed to continuous improvements to our environment, driven by our Sustainability Policy and by the ideas and initiatives emanating from our pupils at Eco Club. 

Sustainability

As part of United Learning, Dunottar is working towards a group-wide target of being Carbon Neutral by 2030 through a variety of different initiatives.

• In 2019, we built a new Sixth Form Centre, followed by the construction of a new Performing Arts Centre which was opened in 2021.  All new buildings on the school site are energy efficient, incorporating heat reflective glass to keep them cool instead of energy-intensive air conditioning.  Our new buildings are insulated to a high level and use under floor heating rather than radiators.  Automatic intelligent LED lighting, incorporating sunlight and movement sensors, ensures that light usage is minimised and lights cannot be left on unnecessarily.
• In 2020, single use plastics, such as cups, were banned on site.
• In September 2023, we achieved our target of replacing 100% of the lighting throughout the school with LEDs. Many of the lighting systems use movement sensor technology and switch off automatically when an area is not in use. 
• We are committed to our Travel Plan and to reducing the number of cars travelling to the school site. Pupils can travel to and from school using our coach service, which currently covers seven different routes. Families are encouraged to cycle or walk to school where possible, and in 2021, we launched an innovative car sharing app, HomeRun, to further reduce the traffic volume around the school. 
• All United Learning schools use electricity suppliers who generate 100% green energy.

Towards the end of the Summer Term, the whole school takes part in Dunottar Does Good Day (DDGD), a dedicated day focused on giving back to the community and promoting sustainability. During this time, we work with local charities and organisations, including care homes, churches, and schools, to identify ways in which we can support them. The day is designed to involve both students and staff in a range of meaningful activities that benefit the wider community. DDGD also reflects the school’s commitment to environmentally responsible practices. Initiatives include recycling-based projects, encouraging walking where possible to help reduce transport emissions, and ensuring that any new materials purchased are recyclable. We also support clothes donation schemes and promote a circular-economy approach, helping to minimise waste and extend the life of valuable resources.

Conservation   

Dunottar is set within 15 acres of beautiful grounds, including extensive natural woodland that provides a habitat for a wide variety of native wildlife, such as deer, foxes, and badgers. These natural environments support the rich biodiversity of the school’s estate and offer students a unique connection to the natural world. All of the mature trees on the site are protected by preservation orders, helping to safeguard this special landscape for future generations.

In 2020, Dunottar introduced beehives as part of the conservation strategy.  These hives produce hundreds of jars of Dunottar honey each year.  

Education

Through the Global Citizenship programme, pupils develop an awareness of the wider world, looking at sustainability and how they can play an active part in the global community. With the increasing threat of global warming, never was there more of a need to make our pupils aware of the world beyond our doors and the part that we all play in this. 

We run several environmentally focused co-curricular clubs, offering pupils the opportunity to increase their understanding of the natural world and to take an active part in its preservation. 

Our ECO Club meets regularly to discuss environmental initiatives and address the school’s responsibilities. Previous initiatives include a campaign to save energy around the school, regular litter clearing, planting native trees, making plastic-free Christmas crackers and encouraging families to walk and cycle more.

Beekeeping Club members tend our on–site apiary, home to around 40,000 bees, learning all about these amazing creatures who play such an important part in our food production and local ecology. 

Pupils who attend our Gardening Club have been learning about seasonal planting, making homes for small wildlife by creating areas for bugs and bees, and developing their understanding of recycling.