Following our earlier announcement in July of the shortlisted entries for the Independent Schools of the Year 2023 awards, we're delighted Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School has been selected as a Finalist in the Independent School of the Year for Environmental Achievement category. 

We now have to wait until October for the announcement of the winners - please keep everything crossed for us!

Headmaster Chris Gunn said: "We're so pleased that our commitment to the environment has been noticed by the independent schools community. 

"We know our teachers and children really care deeply about environmental issues and want to do their bit for the planet. Big challenges like climate change, disappearing wildlife, and plastic pollution can feel daunting and make you feel 'Where do we even start with all this?' 

But we know that if we can immerse children in nature in their everyday lives at school and encourage them to love and respect the natural world (and we've no excuse not to given our beautiful grounds that are teeming with biodiversity), then issues like climate change will feel more real, relevant and manageable."

Children, he adds, will protect the things that they love. And that matters: they're the future guardians of our planet.

Here's Year 4 exploring their creativity in the sunshine and wonderful grassland areas of our grounds where we have lots of beautiful big oxeye daisies. Their large blooms appear from July to September and are so bright that they appear to 'glow' in the evening, hence the other common names of 'moon daisy' and 'moonpenny'!