“Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed these principles into the heart of school life.” Basically meaning we continue with everything we are currently doing in the way of recycling, energy waste, litter etc and expand on it to meet all the criteria and achieve eco- school status. It currently runs in over 40,000 schools across 46 countries and has been divided into 9 sub sections…

Schools spend around £106m a year on water. A large secondary school can spend as much as £20,000. Careful water management together with an effective education programme can reduce water use by two-thirds. This could save a school of 600 pupils around £5,000 every year. Schools can reduce their water consumption by assessing how much they use every day and by looking at the size of their meter, identifying leaks and drips, adapting the flow rate on taps and reducing the amount of water used in toilets.

‘The variety of life’ Biodiversity is the wealth of wildlife in the world around us, from wildflowers and insects to mammals and birds Biodiversity provides direct links to the science curriculum, providing knowledge, skills and understanding across the key stages in the following areas: Life processes Humans and other animals Green plants Variation and classification, inheritance and evolution Living things in their environment

UK schools spend about £450m on energy each year, three times as much as they do on books, and about 3.5% of their budgets. We can reduce energy wasted by insulating pipes and draught excluding doors, windows etc Can we get our energy from a renewable source? Solar panels, wind turbines etc The amount of energy the world uses every day has trebled over the past century.

View of solar panels installed on the Toms River High School North

For pupils to understand their consumer rights and responsibilities. A lot of the points are covered by “citizenship” lessons in schools Students can also learn about democracy by studying forms of government, political and justice systems

Provide emotional support and create a supportive, safe environment that will give pupils the confidence to learn. Actively promote health through the curriculum and in the way the school is managed both in its culture and ethos. Influence the quality of the meals served within the canteen and provide healthier options for pupils through tuck shops or vending machines. Help equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and attitudes which provide springboards to future long-term health. Encourage pupils and staff to be more physically active both in and out of school.

“Waste in the wrong place” A litter free school is very noticeable and can enhance the school’s image in the local community. There are lots of ways to tackle litter. This can include raising awareness in class and at assemblies; appointing litter monitors to check/advise pupils not to drop litter and installing more bins or moving existing ones to problem areas. There is a pack available to download on the website with help on how to run a “Litter Campaign” within your schools.

Children can receive mixed messages from adults. For example, they may be taught that ‘the environment’ is important and that they should take care of it and then see grounds that are poorly designed and badly cared for. Ways to get pupils involved in their school grounds include recycling and composting in the grounds, introducing native plant species to encourage wildlife, using recycled materials for creating elements within the grounds or maintaining the grounds using organic methods. Pupils learn in different ways and for some, sitting at a desk will be a difficult task. For many of these pupils, the chance to go outside will make lessons more interesting just because they are free from the constraints of sitting indoors

Walking and cycling are excellent forms of physical activity and the journey to school can make an important contribution to increasing these activity levels. Current research also suggests that more active children arrive at school more alert and focused and achieve better academic results. A school travel plan is a package of ideas and actions drawn up by the school community to promote more safe walking, cycling and shared transport to and from school. In developing a travel plan, school communities show a commitment to promote sustainable travel.

Reduce waste – change manufacturing processes so that less materials are used or change consumer habits so that less wasted material is bought. Reuse – choose goods and products that can be used again. Recycle – make sure that waste is processed and made into another product wherever possible. Composting is also recycling: the nutrients in organic waste are processed and returned to the soil to help more plants to grow.

Check out the eco-schools website for further information and steps to helping your school achieve one of the 3 award levels, Bronze, Silver and Green…

For local information see: