St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School

St Cuthbert’s Primary School worked with their OASES Energy Officer to reduce their electricity usage. They decided to raise awareness of this by organising a Switch Off Day. Staff and pupils worked together to switch off lights and electrical items across the school for a whole school day, including all computers, projectors and printers!

The exciting Switch Off Day began with a whole school assembly led by an OASES Energy Officer. Staff and pupils learned more about where their electricity comes from and imagined what life would be like without it.

In the morning KS1 pupils transformed into energy superheroes! Wearing their own design energy superhero mask, the pupils learnt more about what uses electricity and how important it is to switch things off when they are not in use. In the afternoon, KS1 pupils made their own apple juice using no electricity! The pupils chopped up the apples and then used an apple press to create fresh apple juice. It was hard work, as without electricity the pupils had to turn the press themselves, but the pupils agreed it was the best apple juice they had ever tasted!

KS2 pupils explored different types of renewable energy, using a dynamic model wind turbine and solar panel kit to carry out an investigation. The pupils took the solar panel kit outside and worked in teams to find the angle at which the solar panel which would make the most electricity.  In the afternoon, KS2 pupils thought about how food can be cooked without using electricity. An OASES Energy Officer helped the pupils toast marshmallows on a fire.