By Anna Edwards

anna.edwards@essnmedia.co.uk

With its solar panels, solar tubes and now a massive wind turbine, Virgo Fidelis is arguably Croydon's "greenest" school.

Staff and governors plan to make the popular girls-only secondary, in Central Hill, Upper Norwood, an "eco school" and make the school sustainable.

The school is spending £4 million refurbishing the site, and because it has built a new four-storey learning building it had to include a sustainable design in line with national building regulations.

The 12-metre turbine was paid for with a mixture of grants from power company E.on, the school's trustees and the Department of Children, Schools and Families.

Sister Bernadette, the school's headteacher, says the school wants to become sustainable.

She said: "I think we're the first in Croydon to have this turbine.

"We wanted a real visual representation to show students how the school is being sustainable, and make it interesting for them.

"We already have solar panels and tubes which heat our water, and this turbine will generate electricity for the kitchens in the catering and hospitality units.

"We've waited months for it, so we're all very pleased to see it up and turning."

The school could not confirm the price of the turbine, which has been set up in the school fields, and fenced off to keep pupils away from the powerful machine.

Sister Bernadette said: "We want people to know of our vision for the school, that our long-term plan is to be as sustainable as possible, and how we care for the environment.

"Hopefully this will encourage our students to be as eco-friendly as possible, and other schools and buildings will follow our approach.

"It's very exciting, and our students will be able to see how the wind is powering their classrooms."