WATCH: Kensington schools get £11.6m energy retrofit
Pupils at five schools in the London borough are set to benefit from efficiency improvements.
Avondale Park Primary, St Francis of Assisi, All Saints Catholic College, Thomas Jones Primary School, and Bevington Primary School have all been earmarked for work to replace old gas heating systems.
The upgrades will ensure greater efficiency, bringing emissions and costs down, freeing up more budget for pastoral and educational needs. Funding to cover the investment has come from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council, which is spending £8million, while £3.6million comes from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, administered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
‘We know that 80 per cent of our borough’s emissions come from buildings. We’re investing to make our school buildings greener which in turn will make classrooms more comfortable for our schoolchildren and for our teachers, who do such an amazing job,’ said Cllr Catherine Faulks, lead member for family and children’s services at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council. ‘At Avondale Park Primary alone, we’ll save 78 tonnes of carbon emissions annually and what’s more, the school will save on their energy costs.’
‘For the kids it’s been an exciting time having builders and big machinery on site – there’s been a few diggers – so the children have been enjoying that,’ added Ben McMullen, Avondale Park Primary headteacher. ‘I can honestly say the staff have been enjoying it too. The builders work between 4pm and 10pm so they don’t disturb the school day and are quiet and tidy.’
More on retrofitting:
Retrofitting required: G20 net zero targets will fail on building emissions
Image: Avondale Park Primary / Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council