SustainableSchoolsinEngland:backgroundandlessonslearned

DrJakeReynolds,SustainableDevelopmentCommission;andProf.BillScott,UniversityofBath

Following a period of uncertainty with sustainable schools since the change of Government in May 

2010, this article describes the key events and lessons learned over six years of partnership between 

the Sustainable Development Commission and the Department for Education, and offers pointers on 

where we might be headed over the next few years.  

Background

Between2004‐2010,theDepartmentforEducation(DfE),whoseremitcoverschildren,young

peopleandschoolsinEngland,enteredintoapartnershipwiththeSustainableDevelopment

Commission(SDC),theGovernment’sadvisorybodyonsustainabilityissues.SDCadviserswere

embeddedintheDepartmenttoevolveideasthatwereambitiousforsustainabledevelopmentand

whichalsowouldimprovethelivesofchildrenandyoungpeople–andhenceweresupportable

politicallybyaneducationministry.Thepartnershipwashighlysuccessful,twicegainingrecognition

fromtheGovernmentasawholethroughitsCivilServiceAwardsprogramme.Atimelinenotingkey

eventsinthiscooperationisincludedattheendofthisarticle.

IntheveryearlystagesofthepartnershipmanypartsofthestakeholdercommunityacrossEngland

weremistrustfulandunbelievingabouttheDfE’scommitmenttosustainabledevelopment.They

arguedthatsustainabilitywasnotapriorityforDfE;thatanysupportitdidgiveamountedtowarm

wordsandtheoccasional‘randomactofkindness’.Overthelastfiveyears,however,perceptions

haveshiftedgreatly.PuttingtheDepartment’srelationshipwithstakeholdersontoastrongand

positivefootinghasbeencrucialtodrivingforwardasharedagendaandimprovingcooperation

betweenvoluntarysectororganisations.

InternallywithinDfE,thegreatestchallengewastoreframesustainabledevelopmentasapositive

opportunityforchildrenandyoungpeople;inotherwordstoshowhowitcouldenablethe

Departmenttodeliveritsobjectivesmoreeffectivelythroughitthanwithoutit.ThelanguageofESD

wasgettinginthewaysoanewwayofdescribingitwasinvented:“careforoneself,careforeach

other(acrosscultures,distancesandgenerations)andcarefortheenvironment(bothfarand

near)”.Thissimplemessagewasunderstandablebyteachersandbuiltonwhattheythoughtthey

werealreadydoing,butextendedtheirhorizonstotheenvironment.Itwasalsosellableinternallyas

itwasa‘goodthing’forchildren(nojustificationfornotsupportingit)andelicitedapositive

responsefromtheeducationcommunity.

Eightsustainableschoolsdoorwayswerechosentocoverabroadsocialandenvironmental

spectrum.Thus,alongsideenergy,waterandwaste(butnotbiodiversitywhichinretrospectwould

havebeenwellreceivedbystakeholders)therewereinclusion,participation,localwellbeingandthe

globaldimension.TheresultingNationalFrameworkforSustainableSchoolswasholisticandfar‐

reaching–iturgedschoolstoconsiderSDinteachingandlearning,schoolmanagementand

communityengagement(‘curriculum,campus,community’).

Theframeworkofferedschoolsrecommendationsonwheretheyshouldbeby2020,encouraging

themtosettheirownpathtosuccesswithoutcentralprescription.Thedoorwayscouldbetackled

onebyone,ingroups,andinanyorder,basedonlocalneedsandpriorities.Theyareall

interconnectedandprogressinoneareacouldopenupopportunitiestotackleothers.

DfErealisedfromthestartthatschoolscouldnotmeettherecommendationswithoutconsiderable

supportfromthewidereducationsysteminwhichtheyaresituated,includinglocalgovernment,

schoolinspection,teachertraining,leadershipdevelopment,nationalcurriculum,architectsand

buildingcontractors,andofcoursechildrenandparentsthemselves.Thishasbeenthefocusof

muchofDfE’sworkonsustainableschoolssincetheframeworkwasoriginallylaunched.

WhenUKcharityGroundworksurveyedtheuptakeofsustainableschoolsin2008,theyfoundthat

around70percentofschoolsinEnglandhadtravelplans,70percenthadobtainedthehealthy

schoolsmark,and50percentwereregisteredwithEco‐Schools.1Thisindicatedthatalargenumber

ofschoolswereengagedinsomeaspectofsustainabledevelopment,ascountlessschoolcase

studiesacrossthecountryalsosuggested.

Schoolactiononsustainabilitymadeavitalcontributiontolocaleffortstosecuresustainable

communities,boththroughtangibleoutcomessuchasreducedcarbonemissionsandsocial

cohesion,aswellasthroughtheformationofpositivesustainablebehavioursinyoungpeopleand

theirfamilies.Theconceptoftheschoolasanengineofsocialchangeincommunitieswascentralto

thesustainableschoolsvision.

Thisimpacthasbeenachievedwithverylittlepublicfundingbeyondmodestfinancialsupportfor

networkinginthenineEnglishregions,anationalawardestablishedthroughtheTeachingAwards

Trust,andasmallbudgettosupportpilotworkandschoolguidance.

Keylessonsforgettingschoolsinvolved

Thekeylessonsfromthisexperienceincluderecognisingthevalueof:

• endorsement/leadershipfromtheeducationministryinordertocreatean‘atmosphereof

permission’amongstschools

• usinglanguagethatresonateswitheducationprofessionalstocommunicatesustainable

development

• astrongvisionfromthecentreinwhichschoolsactashubsofsocialchangeintheir

communities

• nothavingheavyhandedperformancetargets,prescription,orsignificantfunding,whichhas

madeprogressfeelslowattimes,butmoreresilientinthelong‐term

• goodqualityguidancefordifferentconstituencieswithinschools–headteachers,business

managers,teachers,governors,youngpeople

• aclearmessagefromGovernmentthatthewholesectorshouldsupportschoolsintheir

effortstobecomesustainable,andthattheyarenotexpectedtosucceedalone

1ProgressSummaryforMainstreamingSustainableSchools,GroundworkUK,March2009.

• strongsupportfromtheNationalCollegeforSchoolLeadershipinpromotingsustainable

developmentasacharacteristicofeffectiveschoolmanagementandleadership;andfrom

thenationalcurriculumauthorityindevelopingsustainabilityasacross‐curriculum

dimension

• thesupportivestancetakenbyNGOs,localauthoritiesandothersinhelpingschoolsexplore

theimportanceoftheideaofasustainableschool,anditsimplicationsforenhanced

communityinvolvementandincreasingsocialcapital

• theexistenceofEco‐Schoolsandotherschemes,plansandawards(InternationalSchools,

HealthySchools,TravelPlans,TeachingAwards,AshdenAwards)whichprovidesimpleways

forschoolstoengage,andsucceed,withsustainability.

Evidenceofimpactofsustainableschools

In2009theDfEcommissionedtheUniversityofBathtoinvestigatetheeducationalandsocial

benefitstoyoungpeopleoflearninginasustainableschool.Theresultingreportwaswrittenfor

leadershipteamsinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandothereducationalsettingsacrossEngland.2

Evidenceoftheimpactofsustainableschoolsissupportedbyagrowingresearch,policy,and

practitionerliterature,inthemainfromtheUK,butalsointernationally.Multiplesourcesof

evidencenowshowthatbeingasustainableschoolraisesstandardsandenhancesyoungpeople’s

well‐being.Theresearchevidencesupportstheideathatthisisbecausesustainableschoolsengage

youngpeopleintheirlearningsoimprovingmotivationandbehaviour,andalsopromotehealthy

schoolenvironmentsandlifestyles.Inaddition,evidenceshowsthatsustainableschoolsadvance

communitycohesionbymakingvaluableconnectionsbetweentheschoolanditsparentsandcarers

andthewidercommunity.

Underfivethemes,theUniversityofBathreportsetsout15recommendations(toptips)basedon

theimpactofsustainableschoolsandeducationforsustainabledevelopmentonschool

improvementandyoungpeople’swell‐beingasdefinedbyeverychildmattersoutcomes.Indoing

this,itsetouttobeusefulinthecontextofschoolsstrivingtoenablelearnerstobecomesuccessful,

confidentindividuals,andresponsible,caringcitizens.

Thefivethemeswere:

1. Improvingschools:enhancingyoungpeople’slearningandwellbeing

2. Bringingyoungpeople’slearningexperiencestogether

3. Developingyoungpeople’sparticipation

4. Contributingtoschool,communityandfamilylife

5. Modellingsustainabilitypractices,thinkingandplanning

Thereportsetsouttherecommendationsforeachthemetogetherwithashortsummaryofthe

underlyingevidence.

Relatedpolicycooperation

2http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DCSF‐00344‐2010

Inadditiontosustainableschools,DfEandSDCalsofocusedonanumberofothersignificantpolicy

challengesovertheperiod2007‐10,including:

• Managementofcarbonemissions.StronganalysisfromtheSDCofthecurrentfootprintand

future/backwardtrendswascommissionedbyDfEtoestablishhowschoolsinEnglandshould

respondtonational(andinternational)climateobjectives(seefigurebelow3).Thewholecarbon

footprintwasassessed,notjustbuildingenergy,withpolicytailoredtosuiteachcategoryof

emissions(energy,procurement,travel,waste).Opportunitiestocutcostandcarbontogether

wereidentified,withtheimplicationthatenvironmentalunderperformanceshouldberegarded

asinefficiency.ParallelworkundertakenbytheUKDepartmentofEnergyandClimateChange

concludedthatschoolswereessentialhubsforcarbonreductionincommunities,withthree

quartersofDECC’slow carbon communityprojectsinvolvingdirectcooperationwithschools.

• Childhealthandwellbeing.WithsupportfromtheDfE,theSDCpublishedEvery Child’s Future 

Mattersin2007,ahard‐hittinglookathowtheenvironmentaffectschildwellbeing.Thereport

urgedGovernmenttolookbeyondtheusualboundariesofchildrenandfamiliespolicytotackle

factorssuchasurbandesign,greenspace,roadtrafficandclimatechange.Itlinked

improvementintheseareastoimportantoutcomesforchildrenlikegoodmentalandphysical

health,reductionindeathsandseriousinjuries,obesity,respiratoryillnessandpoorbehaviour–

manyofwhichhaveanenvironmentalexplanation.

3ClimateChangeandSchools:Acarbonmanagementstrategyfortheschoolssector,DfE,April2010.

• Inequalitiesanddisadvantageamongstyoungpeople.Environmentalactivitiescanincrease

self‐esteem,boostresilienceandimprovetheemploymentchancesofdisadvantagedyoung

people,aswellasincreasetheirawarenessandabilitytolookaftertheenvironmentinfuture.

SDCresearchhasshownthatafocusonsustainabledevelopmentwithinpolicyandservicesfor

youngpeoplecanenhancethedeliveryofexistingpolicyobjectivesandpreventproblemsfrom

developinginyoungpeopleinthefirstplace.TheSDCcalledfora‘greenthread’tobewoven

throughallpolicyandservicedeliveryforyoungpeopleinordertoenhanceoutcomesforthem

nowandinthefuture.

 

 

 

 

Thefutureofsustainableschools

FollowingthechangeofGovernmentinMay2010,thefutureofthesustainableschoolsstrategyat

firstlookedindoubt,withministersdeclaringthattheydidnotwishtomaintaina‘separate

strategy’forsustainableschoolsnorcontinuewithacorporatesustainabledevelopmentactionplan.

Furthermore,overthesummerof2010itwasannouncedthattheSDCwouldcloseinMarch2011,

andinfactspendingconstraintsbroughttheDfE’spartnershipwiththeSDCtoacloseinNovember

2010.Thefutureofsustainabledevelopmentineducationandchildren’spolicythereforelooked

bleak.

However,immediatelyfollowingtheseannouncements,anumberofumbrellagroupsrepresenting

sustainabilityinterestsintheeducationsectorbeganworkingwiththeDfEtodiscusshowbestto

promotesustainableschoolsintheabsenceofcentralleadership.ByAutumn2010,aSustainable 

Schools Alliancewasunderconsiderationbytheumbrellagroups(SEEd,ThinkGlobal–the

DevelopmentalEducationAssociation,andtheNationalChildren’sBureau)whichtogetherrepresent

over500organisations.

TheprincipalaimoftheAllianceistoprovideaclearandcompellingofferofsupporttoallschoolsin

thecountry,inordertohelpandencouragethemtoputsustainabilityattheheartofwhattheydo.

TheAlliancealsoaimstoprovideapowerful,coordinatedandcoherentvoicetoGovernmenton

sustainableschoolsmatters.TheconceptofanNGO‐ledAlliancehassignificantappealfortheDfEas

atangibleexampleofthe‘BigSociety’inaction,withpartnersself‐organisingtodeliverhighquality

supporttoschools.TheAllianceissettolaunchwithministerialsupportinMarch2011.

InDecembertheDfEpostedthefollowingmessageonitswebsitetoclarifyitspositionon

sustainabledevelopmentandsustainableschools:

The Government is fully committed to sustainable development and the importance of 

preparing young people for the future. Our approach to reform is based on the belief that 

schools perform better when they take responsibility for their own improvement. We want 

schools to make their own judgements on how sustainable development should be reflected 

in their ethos, day‐to‐day operations and through education for sustainable development. 

Those judgements should be based on sound knowledge and local needs. 

Overthenextfewyears,theDfEwouldliketoseeschoolsvaluesustainabledevelopmentforthe

benefitsitbrings,evenwhennotdrivencentrally.Itwouldalsoliketoseeaneffectiveplatformbuilt

forcooperationonsustainableschoolsthroughregulardialoguewiththeAllianceandother

stakeholders.

TheDfEalsointendstopromotetheneedsofchildrenandyoungpeopleacrossgovernmentinareas

ofpolicywheresustainabledevelopmenthasanimportantcontributiontomake.Examplesinclude

publichealth(affectedbychildren’stravelpatterns,dietandqualityofenvironment),thenatural

environment,citizenship(includingtheNationalCitizenService),climatechangeandenergy.Later

in2011,forexample,theDfEwillleadanationalprocurementexerciseforenergyservicesinschools

whichisexpectedtosignificantlycutenergyuse,bills,andcarbonemissionsfromtheschoolestate,

atlittleornocosttothepublicpurse.

Acknowledgements

Theauthorswishtoacknowledgeinsightsandassistancewithpreparingthiscasestudyprovidedby

LouiseJordanoftheDepartmentforEducationandJaniceLawson,chairoftheSustainableSchools

Alliance.

Disclaimer

Thisarticlerepresentstheviewsoftheauthorsonlyanddoesnotimplyanyparticularpolicy

positionsoftheDepartmentforEducationoranyotherbody.

AnnexA:TimelineforSustainableDevelopmentattheUKDepartmentforEducation(DfE)

1998‐2003: SustainableDevelopmentEducationPanelsponsoredbytheUKDepartmentofEnvironment

(withmajorNGOsandlocalgovt)toexploreroleofGovernmentinsupportingESD.Makeslarge

numberofdetailedrecommendationstoDfE,manyofwhichareignored.

2000: UKSustainableDevelopmentCommissionfoundedunderchairmanshipofJonathonPorritt,CBE.

2003: ParliamentaryEnvironmental Audit Committee(EAC)enquirycriticaloftheSecretaryofStatefor

Education,CharlesClarke,whorespondsbycommissioningaSustainableDevelopmentAction

Plan(publishedSeptember2003)–thefirstinWhitehall.

2004: SDCaskedbyCharlesClarketoadviseonembeddingsustainabledevelopmentinallaspectsof

DfEpolicy,fromearlyyearstohighereducationandskills,andassistwithimplementationof

SustainableDevelopmentActionPlan.

2005: Second(followup)EACenquiryalsodamning,butlargelyignoredbynewSecretaryofStateRuth

Kelly.PoliticalatmosphereforESDdifficult,butSDCadvisorbeginsreframingofESDasan

educationalandchildren’sprioritythatresonateswithEvery Child Matters,theGovernment’s

emergingoutcomespolicyframeworkforchildren.

2005: UKSustainableDevelopmentStrategy(Securing the Future)launchedbyPrimeMinisterTony

Blair;includesfocusoneducationandskillspolicy,andarequirementforalldepartmentsto

prepareSustainableDevelopmentActionPlans(SDAP).

2005: DfEpublishLearning for the Future,itssecondSustainableDevelopmentActionPlan,covering

earlyyearsthroughtohighereducation.

2005: TheUKNationalCommissionforUnescohostsnationalconferenceinLondontomarkstartof

UN Decade of ESD(2005–2014).ProspectofsustainableschoolstrategytrailedbyDfEofficials.

2006: ConsultationlaunchedonaNational Framework for Sustainable Schools.Bigresponse,

particularlyfromschoolstudents,givesDfEconfidencethatsectorisinterestedandprogresswill

bepositiveforschoolimprovement.

2006: SDCandDfEcapitaldivisioncooperateonfirstcarbonfootprintassessmentforUKschools.Key

categoriesofemissionsfoundareprocurement(supplychain),buildingenergy,travelandwaste.

2006‐9: IntensiveworkwithDfEcapitaldivisiononenvironmentalstandardsinschoolbuildingdesign,

notablyBuilding Schools for the Future,Primary Capital Programme,Children’s Centresandmy 

Place(youthbuildings).

2006: Governmentresponsetoconsultationsetsout anactionplanforschoolsectorwithactionat

centralandlocallevel.Marksstartofbigpushonresourcesandguidance,includingself‐

evaluation,planning,andtop‐tips.

2006: DfEstartsmall‐scalefundingforsustainableschoolsnetworksinthenineEnglishregions,helping

tomobilisegrass‐rootssupport.

2006: TheUKNationalCommissionforUnescosetsupanESDWorkingGroupto develop meansof

monitoringandadvisingonESDactivityacrosstheUK.Asub‐groupisformedtosupervise

researchintoESDpractice.

2007: DfEestablishSustainableDevelopmentUnitledbyanexperiencedofficial.

2007: DfEestablishanationalawardfortop sustainable schoolthroughtheTeachingAwardsTrust.

2007: SDCpublishEvery Child’s Future Matters,hard‐hittingstudyofhowtheenvironmentaffectschild

wellbeing,andfurtheradviserembeddedinchildrenandfamiliesdirectoratetosupportpolicy

onchildhealthandwellbeing.

2008: DfEpublishBrighter Futures, Greener Lives,itsthirdSustainableDevelopmentActionPlan,

focusingonschools,childrenandfamilies,andyoungpeople.

2008: Play Strategylaunchedwithstrongfocusonenvironmentaldimensionofchildwellbeing,

particularlyindependentmobilityandqualityofstreets/place.

2008: SDCpublishCarbon Emissions in Schools: Where they arise and how to reduce themproviding

scenariosandpolicyoptionsforDfEtoboth2020and2050.

2008: DfEsupportspublicationofTeach Your Granny to Textfromthecharity‘WeAreWhatWeDo’,

capturingideasfromhundredsofchildrenonhowtomaketheworldabetterplace.

2008: DfE’sYoung Activists for Sustainable Developmentprogrammelaunched,withfourcivilsociety

partners(WeAreWhatWeDo,Groundwork,EnvisionandNationalChildren’sBureau),toenable

youngpeopletotakeactiononlocalandglobalsustainabilityissues.

2008 TheUKNationalCommissionforUnescopublishesESD in the UK in 2008: A Survey of Action,

identifyingbaselinedata,areasforfurtherresearchandpossibleUKESDindicators.Publication

marksthemidpointoftheUNDecadeofESD.

2009: DfEandSDCjointlyshortlistedforaCivil Service Awardforleadershipofsustainabilityinthe

schoolsystem.

2009 DfEorganisesUKdelegationtotheUnescoWorldConferenceonEducationforSustainable

DevelopmentinBonn.

2009: DfEfacilitateChildren’s Statement on Climate ChangeasaninputtoCopenhagentalks,basedon

contributionsfromover1000childreninEngland.

2009: TheUKNationalCommissionforUnescoreconstitutesitsESDcommitteestoformasmallpolicy‐

focusedCo‐ordinating Group,andalargerstakeholderForum.

2010: DfEorganise‘FiveNations’conferenceonESD in 2010: the next 5 yearsforEngland,Scotland,

Wales,NorthernIrelandandEire.

2010 DfEpublishEvidence of impact of Sustainable schoolscompiledbytheCentreforResearchin

EducationandtheEnvironment,UniversityofBath,detailingpositiveeffectsonchildren’s

achievement,motivationandwellbeing.

2010: Climate Change and Schools,DfE’scarbonmanagementstrategyforschoolsinEnglandis

publishedwithambitioustargets.

2010: NewPrimeMinisterDavidCameronvoicescommitmenttomakehisadministration“the

greenestGovernmentever”,butdepartmentsasyetunclearwhatthismeansforpolicy.

2010: Inresponseto‘BigSociety’pushinUKpolitics,DfEseekstoshiftresponsibilityforpromoting

Sustainable SchoolstoconsortiumofcivilsocietygroupsledbyDevelopmentEducation

Association(DEA,NationalChildren’sBureau(NCB)andSustainabilityandEnvironmental

Education(SEEd).

2010: DfEshortlistedagainforaCivil Service AwardfortheYoungActivistsprogramme.

2010: DfESustainableDevelopmentUnitrelocatedundertheumbrellaofthecentralPolicyImpact

Division,withanobjectivetomainstreamsustainabilityinpolicydevelopmentandimpact

assessmentacrosstheDepartment.Thisisagoodlocationfromwhichtoinfluenceeducation

policyatastrategiclevel.

2010 TheUKNationalCommissionforUnescopublishesEducation for Sustainable Development in the 

UK in 2010,aspartofitsongoingworkinidentifying,reportingandmakingprogresstowards

meetingthegoalsoftheUNDecadeofESD.

2010: SDCpublishesits‘legacy’reportforthechildrenandeducationsector,Improving Young People’s 

Lives: How the environment builds resilience, responsibility and employment chances,alookat

howtheenvironmentcancreateopportunitiesfordisadvantagedyoungpeople.

2010: DfEpublishestheCoalitionGovernment’spositiononsustainabledevelopmentandsustainable

schoolsonitswebsite.

2011: SustainableSchoolsAlliance(ledbySEEd,ThinkGlobalandtheNationalChildren’sBureau)tobe

launchedinlateMarch.

……………………………………

Citation:

Reynolds J & Scott WAH (2011) Sustainable Schools in England: background and lessons learned. National Association of Field Studies Officers Annual Journal and Review ISBN: 978-1-901642-18-6