School Governors' resources

Climate change and Governorship

If you decide to support your school to become carbon neutral these are some of the areas that can be addressed:

• Energy efficiency and insulation
• Renewable energy production
• Air pollution
• Green infrastructure
• Educating for Sustainable behaviour change
• Curriculum

Energy efficiency and insulation

Find out who manages your energy bills and which company supplies your energy.
Does your school have a Display Energy Certificate as this will show the school’s energy footprint?
Does your school buy or produce renewable electricity?

Who can help?

Work with the Local Authority energy manager and/or the supply company to understand how school can be more energy efficient.

For example, the Energy Management Unit works for Manchester and Bolton and they supply energy, organise audits and can advise schools on ways to be more energy efficient and can be contacted on: 0161 234 3633.

Has your school Eco Team undertaken an energy audit of the school? If so, invite them to a governor’s meeting to share their findings.

How to fund school energy efficiency improvements?

Has your school had a Salix loan or a Salix grant? You may want to find out about Salix funding to support energy efficiency or renewables.

For school case studies go to: https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/knowledge-share/case-studies

For information on funding contact: schools@salixfinance.co.uk or call 02045429089.

Renewable Energy production

Does your school produce any renewable energy?
Would your roof be capable of holding a solar array?

Who can help?

Greater Manchester Community Renewables

GMCR raise funds from the public to install solar panels on suitable roofs. As a community project they give a return on the investment. They take responsibility for installing, insuring and maintaining the array. In turn the school uses the solar energy at a 25% discount. Schools in Salford have been benefitting from this scheme.

https://www.meen.org.uk/Assets/Documents/Case-study-Peel-Hall.pdf

https://www.gmcr.org.uk/

Solar for Schools

This social impact business has a range of offers for schools depending on the situation. They will help the school raise capital through crowd funding, grants, etc, or like GMCR, put an array on the school roof and provide the school solar energy at a discount. This is a nationwide project.

https://www.solarforschools.co.uk

Salix funding for renewables

For school case studies go to: https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/knowledge-share/case-studies
Or for a local high school case study go to: https://www.salixfinance.co.uk/sites/default/files/2020-12/Parrs_Wood_July_2019.pdf

For information on funding contact: schools@salixfinance.co.uk or call 02045429089.

Air pollution

Is your school on a busy road?
Is air pollution a problem for your school?
Is the school run putting your pupils in danger?

Who can help?

Living Streets

They are a national charity working with schools to promote walking and safer routes to school and provide tried and tested ways to get pupils walking to school.

https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school

Clean Air Parents Network

Local community action on air pollution is increasing so contact this network to find out if there are local parents from your school with whom you could work.

https://www.cleanairparents.org.uk/

Clean Air for schools

Global Action Plan organise Clean Air Day and, having worked with the University of Manchester produced a Clean Air framework for schools.

https://www.transform-our-world.org/programmes/clean-air-for-schools

MEEN

MEEN worked on a Clean Air programme on reducing air pollution for GM schools. Contact coordinator@meen.org.uk if your school is interested in learning more.

Groundwork

They are pioneering a new scheme on using planting to reduce air pollution next to schools.

https://aboutmanchester.co.uk/pioneering-clean-air-scheme-will-protect-playgrounds-from-pollution-in-manchester/

Green infrastructure

Would your school benefit from having more biodiverse grounds?

Who can help?

City of Trees

They have a project called Trees for Learning working with schools across Greater Manchester by supplying free trees and organising a ‘how to plant a tree’ day with pupils at no cost.

https://www.cityoftrees.org.uk/schools

Lancashire Wildlife Trust

LWT can add wildlife friendly features to school grounds.

https://www.lancswt.org.uk/school-grounds

Educating for sustainable behaviour change

Does your school have an Eco Team?
Does your school have a Sustainability Strategy?
Could your school do more to help achieve the Zero Carbon Emissions target set for Greater Manchester for 2038?

Who can help?

Eco Schools

This international programme engages pupils in setting up a team to work on supporting the school community in becoming more sustainable and is a great first step on the journey.

https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/

MEEN – Climate Classrooms

MEEN runs a project for high and primary schools called Climate Classrooms which supports young people to become community educators on the issue of climate change.

If you or your school would like to be involved in the project or would like to be on our mailing list then email coordinator@meen.org.uk

There are many other organisations that can help for information go to MEEN’s website where there are local links and contacts for other organisations, curriculum links and lists places to visit – all of which focus on education for sustainability. Go to https://www.meen.org.uk

Teach the Future

Set up by young people for young people Teach the Future is, in its own words, ‘an inclusive, well organised and persistent campaign by secondary and tertiary education students to repurpose the education systems of the world, around the climate emergency and ecological crisis.’ It is a campaign group with specific and well thought-through aims.

https://www.teachthefuture.uk/

The Carbon Literacy Project

This training programme provides learning and training for organisations, educational institutions, workplaces and communities to better understand climate change and how they can reduce their impact.

https://carbonliteracy.com/organisation/

Curriculum links

Would your school benefit from some environmental education curriculum guidance?
Does your school need links to different resources?

National Association of Environmental Education

These documents from the National Association of Environmental Education list the opportunities for teaching environmental education in the Early Years/Primary curriculum and the secondary curriculum.

https://naee.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/NAEE_The_Environmental_Curriculum.pdf

https://naee.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/NAEE-Secondary-Environmental-Curriculum_FINAL.pdf

MEEN

MEEN has collated a range of resources on climate change on the website, alongside other issues.

https://www.meen.org.uk/Climate_Change_Resources