BSB’s Healthy Green Heart

“After a lot of research and internal discussion with members of leadership at BSB, we managed to form an agreement which will see our school recycle our technological waste sustainably, as well as donating our spare resources to those who need it the most in Belgium,” concluded Kheya.

In addition, in March of 2022, after a two-year hiatus, the annual BSB and Special Olympics Belgium ‘Play Unified’ Swimming Gala finally took place with local swimming clubs, Special Olympians and BSB athletes all taking part in BSB’s state-of-the-art pool on a family-friendly day. Athletes did not only come together to swim and enjoy the awards ceremony, but also to show off their dancing skills and enjoy a meal together. It was the latest event in a longstanding collaboration between the school and Special Olympics Belgium. The ‘Play Unified’ campaign was launched in 2016 and was introduced with the aim of connecting 20,000 people with intellectual disabilities with partners in sports clubs and federations all over Belgium.

BSB has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Special Olympics Belgium for over 25 years, based on a shared philosophy and the values of solidarity, respect and integration.

The 2022 event saw about 25 swimmers from BSB volunteers to compete alongside the Special Olympic Athletes at the gala, covering every age group of the school’s Swimming teams. The races took place over short distances – 25 and 50m – in the basic strokes, and there were also relay races with mixed teams comprising BSB and Special Olympics swimmers.

“Play United is a programme within the Special Olympics movement to allow for athletes with disabilities to compete with other athletes as equals,” said Coordinator Luc De Groote, the lead teacher for the event. “For this to be a success all need to show empathy, respect and enthusiasm. Our student athletes showed these virtues so well they created a perfect atmosphere for excellent performances.”

In addition to sporting events such as the ‘Play Unified’ gala, BSB students have shown great empathy, enthusiasm and motivation in their willingness to engage proactively beyond the school gates and tackle important issues. This is just a small selection of the campaigns and initiatives carried out by our hugely active students. Each year, more and more students join our groups with a desire to do some good and make change a reality. Their continued commitment to their chosen causes is highly admirable and a source of great pride at BSB, as is the tireless work of those teachers and staff that work with and support them. Together, we will continue to work towards our goal of being an educational force for good in the world.

Sustainability and the whole school culture

As the planet finds itself in a seemingly out-of-control climate crisis, society needs eco-innovation and a sustainable focus more than ever before. As educators, BSB staff have embraced the responsibility of sustainability education with a focus on producing eco-conscious, selfsufficient world citizens who understand the immediacy of the challenges they and their planet face.

Sustainability is the key to a better future: a future our students will be expected to live in and therefore take responsibility for. As such, sustainability is an important topic to study even if you aren’t an environmental science student, which is why it has become important in every part of the BSB curriculum. Our approach to sustainability education is based on the fact that it encompasses all school subjects and extends far beyond the classroom. BSB’s aim is to provide our students with real-world skills and the selfsufficiency they need to improve the planet while offering them a deep understanding of why the environment is important. Last year we introduced the role of Sustainability Champions at BSB. This was in line with the recommendation of the UK’s Department for Education which is focused on embedding sustainability in school curriculums and cultures. One area of this strategy is to have at least one person responsible for sustainability in every educational institution from 2023 onwards. The initiative has been embraced, not only in the UK but across Europe, with many European schools following the directive.

“We as a school were already thinking about creating such a role before this strategy was announced so we weren’t necessarily reacting to that when the position of Sustainability Champion was created as part of our Enrichment programme,” said Kate Ringrose, one of BSB’s two Sustainability Champions. “This came about as a direct result of responding to our whole school development plan and guiding statements as well as a louder global message raised by students across the world including ours.”

The members of staff and two students were charged with helping to raise the profile of sustainability and environmental education and coordinate all the activities and initiatives that were happening across the school. “Charlie (Phillips, our other Sustainability Champion) and I, along with two student representatives, looked at everything going on in terms of sustainability across the school and discussed ways we could bring them all together.”

“Our first job was to create an audit to find out what we were doing well and where we were able to improve. This enabled us to focus on what we were already doing and where the gaps were – so we filled them. This initiative has taken place throughout the majority of 2022.” The overview showed that BSB actively teaches sustainability and environmental education from our youngest children in our Early childhood centre, our Primary school and all the way through secondary school to our eldest Year 13 students.

In addition, there is the Global Issues Network, a thriving group of students who tirelessly raise awareness and money for several global issues. Students run our fairtrade tuck shop and regularly have bake sales and book sales to raise money for a variety of charities.