Website – UKSSN Operations Group

LinkedIn – (3) UK Schools Sustainability Network Operations Group | Groups | LinkedIn

This week from UKSSN Ops Group –

  • Grow your Climate Shadow
  • Support: Climate School 180
  • Travel: Sustainable School Trips
  • Energy: holiday switch-off
  • Communication: Powerful conversations and video inspiration
  • Catering: Food Vulnerability
  • Support: Let’s Go Zero training and advice
  • Planning: Greener Schools Index
  • CPD: Sustainability Events
  • UKSSN Network Meeting – Retrofit (27th Feb)
  • Happy Valentines Day(ish)🌹
  • Plus: Advice and Support

‘Your climate shadow is a dark shape stretching out behind you. Everywhere you go, it goes too, tallying not just your air conditioning use and the mileage of your car, but also how you vote, where you work, how much you talk about climate change, and whether your words amplify urgency, apathy, or denial.’ (Emma Pattee)

The larger the shadow—the greater a person’s impact on doing good for the planet. This week I have had the privilege of working with alongside colleagues who are actively increasing their shadow and their positive impact on the planet.

Monday – Julie and Helen met with the DfE team behind the Sustainability Support for Education website to collaborate on where and how existing resources that are available for free to our sector can be strengthened.

Tuesday – I joined a CAPE Alliance Advisory Group meeting, a charity that brings together researchers, educators, schools, and partners across the UK who are working to change today’s education for tomorrow’s climate. CAPE is dedicated to supporting schools, creating a community committed to understanding what makes high-quality and evidence-informed climate change education. Also on Tuesday, Gemma spoke at the Department for Education National Network Leaders Forum about the work of UKSSN and encouraging school business leaders to get involved in climate action.

Wednesday – we had the Bedfordshire Sustainability in Education Conference at University of Bedfordshire, an event bringing together 100+ local school leaders, climate leaders, education policy leaders and business leaders to collaborate on climate action. We had brilliant people from Department for Education, Let’s Go Zero, National Education Nature Park, Climate Ambassadors, Learning through Landscapes, Teach the Future, EngineeringUK, Barker Associates, all of our local councils (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton) and representatives of the wonderful Bedford Environmental Education Network (BEEN) to name but a few.


(Teach the Future presenting to an auditorium of school leaders about why we need to act💚)

Also on Wednesday, Gemma was invited to speak at ISBL-Education Executive regional conference in Manchester about sustainability and climate action in schools – Locations | EdExec LIVE 2025. ISBL and EdExec are both active supporters of climate action in schools. In 2024 ISBL launched the sustainability standards for school business leaders🥳.

On Wednesday evening I met with our Trust ‘Green Governance Group’, school Governors and Trustees and our Governance Lead who all give up their evening to help us develop and deliver against our Climate Action Plan (CAP) 💚. Governance of sustainability is a critical part of delivering effective climate action. We are doing more work to understand what good sustainable governance looks like in schools and Trusts.

Thursday and Friday – planning Carbon Literacy training (see below), Education Nature Park funding application (check if you qualify here), and our weekly UKSSN planning meeting which this week includes collaboration with The Trust Network.

🌞Grow your shadow – the easiest way to grow your shadow is to talk about climate action. If you have a story to tell about climate action in your school or Trust or want to get more involved with the work of UKSSN get in touch. Our network is growing and there is lots to do to achieve our objectives.🌞

🌳Support: Climate School 180🌳
Apply for Climate School 180 | Learning through Landscapes
The closing date for applying to Climate School 180 is fast approaching (21st February 2025). Climate School 180 is Learning through Landscapes’ climate-focused initiative. The project is fully-funded and aims to develop and share a better understanding of how schools can implement quality climate change education in their setting. Working collaboratively, the process will challenge your school to embed climate change as a theme across the curriculum and use the school grounds as a learning environment for all pupils. The process will also audit your outdoor space, creating the opportunity for learners to use their school grounds to consider the impact of our changing climate and the nature-based solutions we can implement. Climate School 180 is delivered in partnership with the University of Stirling, who are advising LtL and evaluating the project, and is delivered in all four UK nations.

🚌Travel: Sustainable School Trips🚌
Eco Trip Checklist — EVOLVE Advice
Part of developing an environmentally friendly culture in school is to actively consider the threats and opportunities embedded in everything we do. School trips are a great example. They can have a high carbon footprint – think flying to go skiing – whereas at the other end of the scale they can actively engage children with nature and their environment. A first step is to make sure sustainability is a consideration when planning a school trip by including it in trip policies and checklists. We are fortunate to have an environmental education network that offers a range of high-quality, local school trip opportunities.

If you want to think about reducing your personal impact on the planet, Giki has some great ideas on how to travel more sustainably.

⚡Energy: Holiday Switch-off⚡
For many today is the last day before a much-needed break. A quick reminder to please switch-off over the half term. I have attached a quick and easy tick-list below from our friends at Energy Sparks. Please take a look and share it with colleagues in your school and Trust. How many appliances can you switch off? Even if you only take responsibility for just switching off one switch or socket we can together make an impact.

Holiday switch off

📢Communication: Powerful Conversations 📢
Having conversations about climate change in our daily lives plays a huge role in creating social change. We take our cues about what’s important from what we hear our family, friends, colleagues and neighbours talking about. Politicians need strong social consent to implement successful climate policies. But talking about climate change, especially beyond the green bubble, is hard. Climate Outreach produced an evidence-based, practical guide to help make those conversations easier and more meaningful – and to come out of them feeling inspired and connected.

Inspiration for schools – a 30-second video
Science Moms – a non-partisan group of climate scientists and mothers created a brilliant advert to urge climate action for the next generation. The advert was played during last Sunday’s Super Bowl, one of the most-watched global events. The advert highlights climate change events against the life of a girl from birth to college. Watch it here, pass it on, and think about the communications you and your pupils create and the impact you might be able to achieve 💚.

🍌Catering: Food vulnerability🍌
Climate change forcing two-thirds of England’s farmers to make changes – edie
October 2022 to March 2024 was notably the wettest 18-month period on record for England. As of October 2024, 66% of farmers felt that they had to make changes due to climate change. ‘The National Preparedness Commission’ has berated the UK Government’s track record for failing to act on the demand-side to stimulate the uptake of more sustainable diets and also chided Ministers for not planning to strategically diversify the imports of foods from highly climate-vulnerable countries.’ Schools have a great opportunity to lead in encouraging more sustainable diets. Working with organisations like Proveg, School Food Matters and SchoolFood4Change.

Fantastic inspiration from Leeds City Council – How Leeds uses sustainable food to help schools combat the climate crisis | Local action

⛑️Support: Let’s Go Zero⛑️
Free Carbon Literacy training from Let’s Go Zero
Starting 11 March, Let’s Go Zero are running brand new Carbon Literacy training programme which will support school staff members looking to boost their confidence and understanding of climate change and carbon emissions. The course will focus on key topics like recycling, pollution, climate change and how to inspire the next generation to take action on environmental issues. You can also get in touch with your local Climate Advisor for support in developing your climate action plan and reducing your emissions.

📋Planning: Greener School Index (GSI)📋
Greener Schools Index
The GSI is a free tool self-assessment tool designed to support all schools, however big or small, and at whatever stage they are on their net zero journey.

  • Helps you evaluate your school’s progress, strengths and areas for improvement in essential areas such as air quality, biodiversity, catering management, energy, ICT, procurement, waste management and water​.
  • Each completed survey generates an individual pdf report of responses that can be shared with Governors and Trustees, or used to inform a Climate Action Plan and help develop your school’s sustainability roadmap​.

The first pilot of the GSI will run until 28th February 2025 and will help you assess your current level of climate action and identify areas for further development. Give it a try…it is free and a particularly useful planning tool.

📅 CPD: Sustainability Events 📅
Conferences and events for climate and nature are great for CPD and building your network. We promote training on the website where all Members have facility to add local or regional events. Here are just a few more to look forward to –

  • East of England Sustainability in Education Series with updates from DfE in Essex (26th March 2025) and Suffolk (2nd Apil 2025)
  • Schools Sustainability Showcase, ARU Peterborough (22nd May 2025)
  • ASCL Annual Sustainability Conference, Manchester (5th June 2025)

PLUS – School Resource Management training (by Entrust) on ‘A Sustainable Estate and Climate Action Plans‘ running in the new year.

If you are planning an event let us know and we will share with colleagues in the network.

🎓UKSSN Ops Group: Network Meeting – Retrofit🎓
UKSSN Operations Group Online Community

A reminder that we have our next UKSSN Ops Group network meeting on 27th February at 16.00 (MS Teams). The theme of the meeting is retrofit. We know that 80% of the school buildings that exist today will still be in use by 2050. We need to retrofit what we have to make sure it is fit-for-purpose and supports both people and planet.

 

🌹And finally….Happy Valentines Day(ish)🌹
Are you lucky enough to have received or given flowers today? Do you know where your roses are from or how far they have travelled?

  • Roses can be grown in the UK, but most won’t flower for at least another few months. Most roses are imported from countries with more land, more sunshine, and a cheaper workforce.
  • Major growers include Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya and Ethiopia. Flowers sent to the UK from the Netherlands – a major hub – were probably grown elsewhere.
  • Flowers are kept cool as they are in a series of refrigerated lorries, planes or boats, while some are sprayed with chemicals to freeze them.
  • Flowers are not classified as edible so are often exempt from pesticide regulations. Many flower production workers in Ecuador and Colombia suffer respiratory problems, rashes and eye infections caused by exposure to toxic chemicals in fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides.

Giving flowers and gifts brings joy and happiness. The industry is also a significant employer. My only ask is that we are all a little more conscious of the impact of our purchases and where possible reduce the harm our choices do to our planet.

Valentine’s Day: five ways to ensure your flowers are ethical

Have a great weekend💚

 

Sources of advice and support

References
HM Government Net Zero Strategy (October 2021, page 29)
‘Government is leading the way – embedding climate into our policy and spending decisions, increasing the transparency of our progress on climate goals, and providing funding to drive ambitious emissions reductions in schools and hospitals.’
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6194dfa4d3bf7f0555071b1b/net-zero-strategy-beis.pdf

Department for Education Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy (April 2022)
Sustainability and climate change strategy – GOV.UK

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)
Environmental reporting guidelines: including Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting requirements – GOV.UK

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