Green Careers Week Is A Great Success

Green Careers Week at Wellington School has been a huge success, inspiring pupils across all year groups to explore the exciting and ever-evolving world of sustainability, innovation, and environmental stewardship.

Throughout the week, we welcomed an incredible range of guest speakers, organisations and activities. Through talks, workshops, and interactive sessions, pupils gained a deeper understanding of the wide variety of green career pathways available and how their skills, creativity, and passion can make a real difference to the planet.


Senior School

Geography

The Geography department was thrilled to welcome Dr Mark Chatting from University College Dublin for Green Careers Week. He delivered an engaging presentation to Sixth Form and Year 10 geographers, sharing insights from his career journey and academic experiences. Dr Chatting captivated students by discussing his research on carbon stores in the Irish Sea, highlighting the important role these natural reservoirs play in tackling climate change. His visit offered a valuable opportunity for students to learn more about career paths in geography and environmental science while gaining a deeper understanding of real-world issues related to sustainability and conservation. A big thank you to Dr Chatting for this wonderful talk and to Mr Bird for organising.

Future Steps

To launch Green Careers Week, we were delighted to welcome Pru Ashby, Head of Sustainability at London & Partners, to speak with Lower Sixth. Pru leads the organisation’s urban innovation and sustainability work and oversees the delivery of its sustainability strategy in support of London & Partners’ mission. She has built a strong reputation advising companies on global expansion, including Twitter, Airbnb and Tesla. Pru outlined her own career journey and offered practical, encouraging advice for students hoping to enter the green sector. She emphasised the importance of networking and of being your authentic self, and responded thoughtfully to a range of excellent questions from Lower Sixth. Many thanks to Pru for a compelling and insightful session.

Academic Scholars

As part of the Academic Scholars' Programme, students engaged in a lively debate on the motion, "This House Believes that Zoos Should be Banned." Drawing from extensive research, they explored both the social and environmental roles zoos play today. Although the team advocating for the ban won by a narrow margin, the strong arguments on both sides highlighted the complexity of the issue. Many agreed that instead of banning zoos outright, reforming them could offer a better way forward. This debate was a key event during Green Careers Week, prompting students to reflect on conservation opportunities, both within zoo environments and in the wild. Year 9 student Eva, shared insights from her own conservation work and discussions with University of Bristol researchers, adding depth and personal experience to the conversation. Thank you to Miss Greenway for organising.

Chemistry

To conclude Green Careers Week, the Chemistry department was thrilled to host Dr Karl Hemming from the University of Huddersfield, who delivered an insightful talk on 'Green Careers in Chemistry'. Dr Hemming explored various career paths within green chemistry and highlighted key trends shaping the field, including climate change, sustainability, carbon tracing, renewable energy, lifestyle science, medicine, and smart materials. With more than 300,000 jobs available in chemistry, this sector is currently growing 30% faster than the overall job market. Additionally, the median salary for chemistry-related roles stands at an impressive £50,000. We extend our thanks to Dr Hemming and the University of Huddersfield for sharing valuable knowledge and to Mr Hamilton and Mr Vile for their excellent organisation and support throughout the event.

Biology

In Biology lessons this week, students learned about the different types of ‘Green’ careers within Biology, including within the fields of Energy, Outdoors, Consultancy, Farming and Food Production and distribution. They also watched a fascinating video on careers in Botany at Kew Gardens. Biological Drawing Club also focussed on Botany and tied it in to their work on Orchids this term.

Religious Studies

R.S. students investigated the lives of modern change-makers whose backgrounds in philosophy, ethics, religion and theology have fuelled bold environmental action. They discovered academics persuading courts that orangutans should be recognised as legal persons, lawyers pioneering rights for rivers, community leaders creating eco-villages, and policy advisers pressing governments to act for future generations.


Prep School

Outdoor Education

This week 4W had the task of going on a scavenger hunt to find various careers as part of Green Career Week. Pupils found the information cards and chose one fact to record; they then chose which occupation they would like to do! Great fun had by all. 

Gardening Club

The Prep School have also been participating in Green Careers Week, highlighting the importance of sustainable professions. Our Prep Gardening Club had the pleasure of welcoming Head Gardener, Jason, who shared his invaluable insights into his journey in horticulture and landscaping. The students were captivated by Jason's diverse career experiences, his training, and the reasons behind his profound love for his work, as well as the essential contributions of the Wellington School grounds team.

The children eagerly shared their own aspirations for the future, many of which aligned with 'green' careers such as agriculture and zoology. It was truly inspiring to witness their enthusiasm for making a positive impact on our local community and the planet. Thank you to Jason and Mrs Lyon Taylor for organising.

Pre-Prep

Children in Pre-Prep learned all about the role of a National Park Ranger and then had a quiz to guess the animals that a National Park Ranger might look after.

Years 3-6

Children in Years 3-6 learned about the different types of roles within the Green sector and watched a video about a Process Optimisation Manager also known as a ‘Sludge Scientist’.