Sustainability and Climate Action
A key initiative of DfE’s sustainability and climate change strategy for education is ‘sustainability leadership and climate action plans’. The strategy states that “by 2025, all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan”, with a Climate Action Plan being defined as a “detailed plan to enable your education setting, or trust, to progress or commence sustainability initiatives”.
Brighton Hill approach:
Brighton Hill Community School is committed to adopting a rigorous, whole-school approach to climate action and believes its Climate Action Plan will create a structured, strategic route toward ensuring higher levels of sustainability and education about climate action and ecology within the school and the wider community.
In line with DfE recommendations, the following areas appear as key strands that run throughout the Climate Action Plan:
- Decarbonisation (for example calculating and taking actions to reduce carbon emissions, such as becoming more energy efficient)
- Adaptation and resilience (such as taking actions to reduce the risk of flooding and overheating)
- Biodiversity (for example developing the number of green spaces and ecosystems)
- Climate education and green careers (such as providing a knowledge-rich and comprehensive climate curriculum).
In addition, and to provide further structure to the approach taken, the Action Plan will follow the guidance from the National Governors Association by adopting the ‘6 Cs’ model. In this approach, each of the following headings will form a subsection of the Climate Action Plan through which the above overarching strands will be addressed:
Culture – the way things are done: The way things are done at all levels of a school/trust is reflective of your vision and values. If environmental sustainability sits within this, your everyday practices and larger decisions will demonstrate care and respect for the environment.
Curriculum - teaching and learning: As climate change affects many aspects of daily life, climate education should extend beyond Science and Geography.
Community - working together inside and outside school: Community refers to how the school fosters a united approach to environmental sustainability, both within the local community and the school community itself.
Campus - buildings, energy and grounds: This encompasses all aspects of school buildings and grounds. Energy usage will likely already have been considered, but there are other aspects which can positively benefit your school/trust.
Careers - qualifications and work experience: Supporting young people to make informed choices about their future is an important responsibility for schools and their governing boards. With future green careers on the horizon, this is an area both primary and secondary schools should prioritise.
CPD - staff and governing board knowledge: Governing boards, senior leaders and teachers need to be equipped with the skills to deliver on improving environmental sustainability. This includes providing the capacity and budget to do so.