Information for governors about Eco-Schools

Through the sustainable schools team, Leicester City Council supports all schools in the city to become more sustainable. Our outcomes are reducing carbon, engaging young people and/or teachers in environmental education, provides opportunities to showcase Leicester City Council and our partners & raises awareness of the climate emergency and how to proactively combat it. Ultimately, we want to support all schools to achieve and maintain Green Flag status in the next 3 years.

Further information

On 1 February 2019 Leicester City Council declared a Climate Emergency. The declaration is an acknowledgement that: 

• Climate change is happening, and threatens the wellbeing of everyone in Leicester and worldwide 
• The speed and scale of global and local action to tackle the problem needs to be dramatically increased

In its declaration, the Council committed to developing a new action plan to address the emergency through our own services and projects.

We have two flagship carbon reduction programmes for Leicester City schools – BESS Energy and Salix funded Public Sector Decarbonisation works.

One of the commitments for Salix funded schools is to declare a climate emergency and associated action plan through Lets Go Zero 2030 as a school – this aligns perfectly with the Eco-Schools programme.

Let’s Go Zero 2030 is a campaign delivered by Ashden which many schools in Leicester have previously participated in. Signing up (which needs to be done by either a school senior leader of governor) is a commitment to tackling climate change and will ultimately create a school wide carbon reduction plan

• Sign up to Let's Go Zero 2030
• Find out more about declaring a climate emergency 

In Leicester there are 65 schools that have achieved the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. This training, delivered by Leicester City Council, will support your understanding the award as well your role in the recently published government policy ‘Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education’.  We’ll also discuss how to declare a climate emergency in school and how as a Governor or Trustee you can support your school or MAT to reduce their carbon footprint.

Next training sessions

Governor training - the next available date is Wednesday 30 November 2022 (4.30-6pm via Microsoft Teams)

Aims of the session

• Gain a greater understanding of the national Sustainability and Climate Change strategy, updated Eco-Schools criteria and how to declare a climate emergency in school
• Understand the role of the Sustainable Schools/Eco-Schools link governor/trustee
• Find out how your school can link with Eco-Schools and similar environmental programmes local and nationally
• Learn more about the Let’s Go Zero 2030 campaign to make schools carbon zero

Book via the eForm. 

Carbon Literacy training - for school staff and governors - first session 14 November 2022 (4.30-6.30pm via Microsoft Teams)

Please see our carbon literacy page for more information and to sign up.

As well as one to one support, schools are able to engage through half-termly #EcoTeachmeets, staff training, resource planning & workshops, an annual Eco-Schools conference & celebration event and keep up to date through a dedicated Twitter account, monthly eBulletins and termly newsletters. The Eco-Schools programme provides exciting opportunities for students in curriculum time as well as outside the classroom.

There are 10 areas that are covered in the Eco-Schools framework:

• Energy
• Waste
• Water
• Litter
• Global citizenship
• Healthy living
• Transport
• School grounds
• Biodiversity
• Marine

Eco-Schools is an internationally recognised award which schools in England can work towards. The award is called Eco-Schools Green Flag and is achieved on an annual basis (application window is May-July each year). There is a cost of £200 for accreditation, we are able to partially cover the cost (so schools only pay £50).  Previously schools could apply at any time (and there was a bronze and silver award). 

Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems

In April 2022, the government launched the national policy on sustainability and climate change for schools. We have matched our activities to the document and can share where we are supporting schools.  This will also be shared at the governor and trustee training.

For more information about projects, activities and initiatives in Leicester please take a look around the Eco-Schools micro-site or if you require further information, please contact Lee Jowett.