A group of Year 8 and 9 pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe enjoyed a recent trip to London where they got the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Tower Bridge and the new Olympic Stadium.
The trip’s main focus was on the Olympic Stadium where the pupils were guided around the outside of the Stadium which is in the final stages of construction before participating in a workshop on the legacy of the stadium and the sustainability of the various venues.
They looked at how the Olympic Delivery Authority has transformed the Olympic Park from derelict industrial land to a sustainable new quarter of London. Sustainability was embedded in the bid for the 2012 Games and the pupils examined how the Authority looked firstly at using existing UK venues where possible and then only built permanent structures for venues which will have a long-term use after the Games, everything else would be housed in temporary structures,
“The Authority want to use the Games as a catalyst for change, for the regeneration of, and improvement of quality of life in, East London and encourage more sustainable living across the whole of the UK,” explained Ms Ursula Gallagher, Head of Humanities at Saint Paul’s. “The pupils investigated the issues surrounding sustainability with a focus on the Olympic Park including the impact on climate change, waste, biodiversity, inclusion and healthy living. They performed brilliantly and five of them were awarded Gold medals for their contributions.”
“I am very proud of the way the pupils participated in the various activities with such enthusiasm; they are a credit to Saint Paul’s,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “The pupils gained a great deal from this visit, they were able to enjoy their time in London and see many of the major sites and the visit to the Olympic Stadium provided an excellent opportunity for our pupils to learn in a very stimulating environment about the importance of sustainability and the impact of events such as the Olympic Games on our environment and economy.”