Working towards whole-school sustainability

Resource Futures supports the internationally-recognised Eco-Schools Award programme to help your school address challenges such as energy and carbon reduction, resource efficiency and environmental awareness. This pupil-led initiative provides a framework to help embed these principles into the heart of school life.

Resource Futures offers support to schools in the teaching and learning aspects of their journey towards whole-school sustainability, making clear connections to national education requirements. In some of our project areas this support is subsidised by the local authority and may even be available free of charge.

We can offer:

• training for teachers, governors and other school staff
• class sessions with pupils
• support for pupil Eco Action Teams
• energy and waste audits
• opportunities for teachers to join a local network and share experiences
• information on funding and specialist advice
• teaching and learning resources
• links with local community initiatives

Joining the Eco-Schools programme is free and it makes tackling sustainable issues easy for all schools, whether children’s centres, nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools or schools with special status. Once registered, your school follows a simple seven-step process which addresses a range of environmental themes from litter and waste to healthy living and biodiversity.

Pupils are the driving force behind Eco-Schools. They lead the Eco Action Team and carry out an audit to assess the environmental performance of their school. Through consultation with the rest of the school and the wider community they decide which environmental themes they want to address and how they are going to do it. Measuring and monitoring is an integral part of the Eco-Schools programme, providing your school with all the evidence it needs to shout about its environmental success.