Sustainable schools For pupils, communities and the environment

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Sustainable schools For pupils, communities and
the environment
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Some facts to make you think

• Schools account for 15 of public sector carbon
  emissions in the UK SDC
• The 25 most inefficient schools use more than
  three times as much energy per pupil than the
  most efficient 25 DfES/HTI
• We recycle just over a fifth of our waste, one of
  the lowest rates in Europe Defra
• A third of food grown for human consumption in
  the UK is thrown away Fare Share
• 40 of children dont understand the relationship
  between a potato and a chip
• Since 1950, global freshwater use has more than
  tripled HMG
• Leaving devices in standby produces over 3m
  tonnes of CO2 each year.
• Food production, packaging and transport accounts
  for
• nearly one third of all our climate impacts SDC

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On the plus side

• Many schools and LAs are enthusiastic
• 4,500 registered with Eco-Schools (450 green
  flags)
• gt 12,000 Healthy Schools (19,500 participating
  in the programme)
• gt 879 schools with the International School
  Award (488 working towards it)
• gt 10,000 travel plans
• 10,500 Growing Schools Great Vegetable
  Challenge Resource pack requested
• Developing ESD networks in most English
  regions
• new building standards (BREEAM)
• Global Gateway

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Sustainable schools - quick guide

• Launched by Alan Johnson in May 2006
• Government wants all schools to become models of
  sustainable development for their communities
• Wants all of us to learn, and young people in
  particular, that sustainable living is achievable
  and can be the norm
• Consultation ran till 1st September 2006
• Followed by a Year of Action.

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Framework for sustainable schools

• Begins with a vision of care
• Care for oneself
• Care for each other (across cultures, distances
  and time)
• Care for the environment (here and far away)
• An integrated approach
• Curriculum
• Campus
• Community
• Joins up initiatives, builds coherence
• Schools at the heart of the community
• Education by example

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Themes or doorways
Energy and water
Buildings and grounds
Purchasing and waste
Food and drink
Travel and traffic
Inclusion and participation
Local well-being
Global dimension
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What children told us
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How schools and others responded
This is a fantastic way forward and seems to
reflect what young people themselves believe to
be important. The 'umbrella' nature of the
initiative is the only way to do it.
A national framework is very welcome bringing
together the teaching and management aspects of
SD and the framework itself is clear.
Practical, workable links need to be made
between Sustainable Schools, ECM and extended
schools.
The document is mostly excellentbut not all the
targets should be 2020... We need realistic
targets for 3-5 years hence.
Needs to be built into professional development
programmes as a core element of managing a
school. At an earlier stage it needs to be at the
heart of teacher training.
Ofsted and the wider community must acknowledge
the value that a sustainable school has whatever
that school's academic results.
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How schools thought they were doing
Getting started
Satisfactory
Doing well
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Next steps for DfES

• Year of Action
• Ministerial response
• Self-evaluation tool (s3)
• Assembly plans, teachers guide
• Carbon Detective kit for pupils
• Guides for governors, bursars
• Teaching award, competitions
• Regional networking support
• Conferences, e.g. WWF (June)
• A DfES action plan

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Aims

• New skills and behaviours pupils become part of
  the solution, not part of the problem
• School efficiency and improvement seizing
  opportunities
• Sustainable communities places where people
  want to live