Website – UKSSN Operations Group

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

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot

This week from UKSSN Ops Group –

  • Climate Leadership: building a community
  • Catering: updated School Food Standards
  • ICT: Digital technology and Bett UK
  • Procurement: Value Match and CST
  • People: Behaviour change
  • Planning: Project Drawdown insight
  • Planning: Greener Schools Index
  • Funding: Maintaining the school estate
  • Communication: Greenwashing and Greenhushing
  • Nature: Education Nature Park – Winter
  • CPD: Sustainability conferences and events scheduled for 2025
  • And finally…some good news!
  • Plus….advice, support and useful references

📰 Climate Leadership – building a community 📰
Leadership in schools at whatever level is challenging. Leaders manage diverse stakeholders, including children, teachers, parents, and policymakers, each with their own expectations and priorities. Leaders need to adapt to policy changes, curriculum updates, government regulations while ensuring stability and progress. Pupil needs present significant challenges, ranging from academic achievement to mental health support and behavioural management. Ensuring equity and inclusion for all students requires thoughtful policies and interventions. Limited resources, such as budget constraints, teacher and support staff shortages, and outdated infrastructure, add another layer of complexity. Additionally, school leaders are responsible for teacher motivation, professional development, and staff well-being, all essential for maintaining a positive school culture. Furthermore, Leaders must address community expectations, integrate new technology effectively, and handle crises as and when they emerge.

We are asking a lot when we also demand our school leaders take on responsibility for climate change and biodiversity loss.

Yet schools are critical in responding to the climate emergency, whether nurturing climate-friendly behaviours or reducing our collective carbon footprint.

Building a community can help
The DfE Sustainability and Climate Change strategy calls for all schools to have a sustainability leader by 2025. We agree that climate leadership is vital, but we cannot leave saving the planet to only one person. Change might begin with individual leaders, but it thrives in communities. Individuals alter the course of history by coming together; tackling climate change is no exception. That is why it is so important for anyone working on sustainability in schools to find your people— to amplify your voices and experience the strength, comfort, and hope that comes from knowing you are not in this alone.

🍎 Catering: School Food Standards 🍎
School food standards practical guide – GOV.UK

Updated school food standards were published earlier this month. It is good to see encouragement of meat-free days and an emphasis on buying locally-sources and sustainable ingredients. There are several organisations working to help reduce the carbon and water footprint of school meals. We work with Proveg and supported by our food provider Allmanhall. Building partnerships built on shared aims and values is a critical part of a strong climate action plan.

Allmanhall and Food Steps have just released volume 2 of their ‘Hero Recipe’ series, recipes for schools that are aligned to our ambitions for people and planet and provide the carbon footprint of each meal. Hero Recipe Booklet | Volume 2 by allmanhall – Issuu

💻 ICT: Digital technology 💻
I had the privilege of speaking about climate action at Bett UK last week (35,000 educators, policymakers and industry changemakers, with over 600 EdTech companies). My talk came shortly after students from Chiltern Learning Trust sharing their experience of using Apps for Good to develop digital solutions for the climate crisis. I confess I left Bett with mixed feelings. ICT brings new technology and innovation that will continue to revolutionise schools; yet the impact of ICT hardware and new digital technology on our planet was barely recognised. My ask to the organisers of Bett UK 2026 – bring sustainability into mainstream conversation. Work with etech suppliers to ensure they make sustainability a visible part of their presentations. Find a dedicated space for edtech suppliers who support schools with their work on climate action. Raise the profile of sustainability in presentations and talks. I wonder does Bett UK know the carbon footprint of their event?

The Civil Service Environmental Network recently released a podcast on the impact of digital technology on sustainability, it is definitely worth a listen – Environment Deep Dive Podcast | CSCEN.

🛒 Procurement: Value Match & CST 🛒
Helping trusts approach procurement with purpose
This week Value Match announced a partnership with the Confederation of School Trusts (CST). Value Match set out three aims for the partnership:

  • Maximise value for money for schools
  • Drive positive sustainability and social value
  • Strengthen procurement governance and compliance

Partnerships of this nature are another tangible sign that priorities for schools are slowly evolving, with recognition that care for our planet can no longer be ignored in strategic or day-to-day decision making; on the contrary, our environmental impact should help inform all of our decision-making.

🤔 People: Behavior change🤔
Training – Sustainable Sidekicks

Impactful climate action often requires an element of behavior change. Humans are motivated by impulses, shortcuts, the feel-good factor, what other people think and the infrastructure around us, not always rational thought. Knowing how we think, feel and why we do the things we do, is the key to motivating people to really change their behavior. If you are introducing a new way of working consider the behavioural ‘nudges’ that might help your plan succeed. Sustainable sidekicks is a good place to start when considering the science behind behaviour and how to change it.

 

🗺️Planning: Project Drawdown – Climate Insight 🗺️ 
Drawdown Insights | Project Drawdown

Project Drawdown is one of the world’s leading resources for climate solutions, a go-to place for ideas and inspiration. Drawdown regularly publishes ‘Insights’, short articles on aspects of climate action. Below are a selected few that are relevant to schools (there are plenty more on their website):

Ecologi has also published inspiration for your Climate Action Plan – 20 impactful climate actions businesses can take in 2025 | Ecologi. Renewable energy, reducing travel, refurbished tech, carbon literacy training, green websites, sustainable suppliers….these are all actions we can take to help prevent the worst of climate change and biodiversity loss. It was also great to see Ecologi working with Midcounties Co-operative, an organisation my Trust contracted with through Value Match – (30) Post | LinkedIn.

📋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.

💰Funding: Maintaining the School Estate💰
Funding & Finance Update – January 2025

Ensuring the school estate is resilient to ever more extreme weather event (heat, cold, storms and flooding) – and transition to net zero – is a critical part a climate action plan. DfE are currently reviewing the funding regime for school maintenance. Government is yet to set out its approach to capital funding, with much of it hinging on the budget and spending review later this month. In the meantime, Barker Associates publish a regular update on funding available to the public sector. They also have a useful (and free 😀) Estates Management Self-Assessment tool – Your Estates360 Assessment.

Also note PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey that for the first time reported investment in climate action and sustainability is paying off. One in three CEOs report that climate-friendly investments made over the last five years resulted in increased revenue. Two-thirds of CEO’s reported investment had either reduced costs or had no significant cost impact (often a perceived barrier for investment in schools). Their 12-month threat assessment also showed climate change rising up the list of concerns.

Giant green ambitions for Bedfordshire school | Salix Finance
💚If you want some inspiration about what can be achieved, a Bedfordshire primary school with its very own animal farm has successfully navigated a Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project. Kings Oak Primary School recently completed a net zero project which has involved installing five air source heat pumps across its site. The £846k Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant also helped pay for other energy efficiency measures including cavity wall insulation, LED lighting and solar PV. The energy saving project was funded under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme with Bedford Borough Council contributing £4.48m. This contribution meant the works could also include new windows as well as radiator installations.💚

📣Communication: Greenwashing and Greenhushing 📣
Honesty, precision and data: ASA CEO shares his tips on avoiding greenwashing – edie
Greenwashing is when organisations make misleading claims about their sustainability. A quick internet search will yield plenty of examples where companies have over-claimed about their green credentials. As schools and trusts become more aware of the power of positive climate communication, we are at risk of falling into the same trap.

  • Be aware of the risks of greenwashing in communication, marketing and websites.
  • Verify supplier claims before entering into contracts.
  • Publish verified carbon footprint data.
  • Be honest in progress, challenges and actions.

Greenhushing is when organisations intentionally or unintentionally stop talking about climate action for fear of being criticized. Greenhushing in education is potentially even more dangerous than greenwashing. We risk stifling curiosity and innovation and remove opportunities to learn and evolve.

When designing our communication and marketing strategies, we must be bold in talking about climate action but careful in not overstating our progress.

🦋Nature: Education Nature Park – Winter🦋
What to do with the Nature Park this winter | Education Nature Park
From the Nature Park (who now have 4,000 schools signed up and working to improve nature and biodiversity in their school grounds 🙂) – short days and grey skies may lead you to think that there’s not much going on outside at this time of year, but this could not be further from the truth! Embrace the winter season by having a go at some of their suggested activities over the next few months.

📅 CPD: Sustainability Events 📅
It is great to see an increase in regional and national events to support schools and Trusts. We promote training on the website where all Members have facility to add local or regional events. Here are just a few to look forward to.

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

And finally….some good news
https://mcscertified.com/2024-was-a-record-year-for-small-scale-renewables/ 

According to data from the MCS Data Dashboard, there were more than 260,000 certified installations in UK homes and small businesses last year, including heat pumps, solar and battery storage. This is a 7% increase compared to 2023, which itself was a record year for installations, a reminder there is good news to celebrate!

Have a great weekend 💚

Sources of advice and support

References

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