Somersham Primary School

About Our School : What's New Archive

12 February 2009: Solar Somersham – bringing power to all of our children

Solar Somersham Scheme comes to fruition!

There was a charged atmosphere in school this week when pupils officially switched on their £20,000 solar panels, installed with the help of grant aid from the national Solar4Schools scheme with match-funding from the government’s Low Carbon Building Programme.

Pupils at Somersham can keep track of how much renewable energy the panels are generating and the amount of carbon dioxide they have saved by checking a monitor in the school building, and also via data logging software on the school’s computers and website. Years 5 & 6 pupils Danica and Jack, members of the school’s thriving Eco Council, said “It was interesting seeing the panels installed and they look really cool. Mr McArthur explained all about green energy in assembly and we can’t wait to see the panels working.”

We are very proud to be chosen by Solar4Schools for this important initiative. We are already working hard to reduce the school's carbon footprint with a host of green initiatives. These new rooftop solar panels will instantly boost our efforts while sending out a strong message about our commitment to helping the environment. We are teaching the next generation about climate change and setting an excellent example to other schools, businesses and homes locally and across the county.

Ramin Dilmaghanian from Solarcentury who installed the panels said, “We are delighted to have completed the installation at Somersham, one of nearly 200 schools to benefit from the Solar4Schools programme. The panels are expected to generate more than 3,400 units of electricity every year, powering over 18 computers, or 33 thousand hours of computer use. The benefits of the system will roll on for years to come and touch the lives of hundreds of pupils and their parents.” He added, “It has been calculated that if all 25,000 schools in England were fitted with solar panels, 48,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions would be saved annually. This is the equivalent of CO2 emissions of over 13 thousand car journeys from London to Sydney, or driving 145 million miles. We are determined to continue installing solar panels on as many schools as possible, hence we have recently issued a ‘Solar4Schools Challenge’ to encourage other schools and companies to get involved in the programme."

The school’s Eco Council recorded the panels’ installation in pictures. See the children’s completed diary on the Solar Somersham page. To learn more about the ‘Solar4Schools Challenge’ or Solar4Schools in general please visit www.solar4schools.co.uk.

Readers might recall that this scheme was launched in late 2007, and it's wonderful to see it finally implemented.

13th January 2009: Looking after the pennies

Somersham School achieves national recognition for efficient financial management

Following a day long visit by an external assessor last month, we are pleased to announce that the school has met the requirements of Financial Management Standard in Schools (FMSiS).

The Standard acknowledges that our school is well managed financially. A comprehensive range of evidence was compiled and submitted over a six month period by a working party comprising governors and staff, led by Chair of the Governors’ Finance and Personnel Committee, Clare Robertson. She described the school’s achievement as ‘superb, and a deserved recognition for the thorough and efficient procedures surrounding the school’s management of financial affairs and a £1 million annual budget.’ Headteacher, Graham McArthur added: ‘FMSiS recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication shown in terms of financial management by the Office staff team led by Mrs Peaks and also by governor colleagues.’

FMSiS accreditation takes into account a school’s everyday practice and strategic planning with regard to: leadership and governance, people management, policy and strategy, partnership and resources and processes. It is awarded for a three year period.

We have discussed and our next steps in terms of improving practice, which include further refining the governor and staff induction program, and building in both in-house and external training to reinforce agreed financial procedures, as well as expanded use of financial benchmarking.

The full FMSiS report is currently awaiting validation by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and will appear on this site shortly.

In the photo: Governors’ FMSiS Working Party (from left) Alan Draper, Janet Peaks, Clare Robertson & Graham McArthur

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