Support for schools

There are loads of resources provided by national organisations that help schools to consider how to become greener. Several are highlighted here, that are great for giving a framework to actions you take to become greener, as well as giving ideas for actions schools could take to become greener. 

Eco Schools 

An initiative providing schools with a framework to help schools reduce their emissions and environmental impact. Schools can receive different levels of accreditation depending on the amount of actions they do, progressing from bronze, silver, gold to an eventual green flag award. 

 Eco Schools

Ashden Let’s go zero 

A national campaign that schools with the ambition to cut their carbon emissions to zero emissions by 2030 can sign up to. A climate action planning tool is also provided, giving your school ideas for actions it can take to reduce its environmental impact and enabling you to set these out in a formulated plan. 

Ashden Let’s go zero

Pesticide Action Network

Pesticide Action Network provide information on the environmental damage caused by pesticides, along with resources on how use of pesticides can be reduced. They have a webpage on activities for children to help them understand why pesticides are harmful to the environment and provide activities to do to learn more about pesticides and wildlife.

Pesticide Action Network

Plastic Free Schools

This is a programme launched by Surfers Against Sewage which provides schools with resources to help reduce their use of single-use plastics. It is a free programme with key links to the curriculum highlighted within the resources.

Plastic Free Schools

Learning through Landscapes

Learning through Landscapes is a national charity, specialising in providing support to help schools engage students with becoming more active and learning outdoors. They have lots of outdoor learning ideas on their website, and sometimes have access to grants for funding outdoor learning equipment such as bird boxes and providing training associated with outdoor learning. 

Learning through Landscapes

Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust are a woodland conservation charity, that plant, protect and restore woodlands in the UK. They provide free trees for schools to plant on their land, along with tools to help with planning tree planting, planting of the trees and how to care for them.

Woodland Trust

Forest Schools

Forest Schools is a programme schools can run, where trained instructors run educational sessions in an outdoor setting. Trained instructors can be hired, or staff can go on a course to become a forest school leader.

 Forest Schools

Living Streets

Living Streets focuses on encouraging and supporting walking for local journeys. They have produced an initiative called WOW promoting active travel (e.g. walking, cycling) to school, with an interactive travel tracker for children to note down how they travel to school, with badges rewarded for this behaviour. A co-ordinator for the scheme is based in Colchester, so if you want to register your interest or ask questions email Zoe.Lynch@livingstreets.org.uk. 

 Living Streets

Energy Sparks 

Energy Sparks provides tools for schools to monitor their energy usage and gives ideas for actions to reduce energy use. They also provide lots of ideas for activities that can be covered within lessons for learning about energy use and its impact on the environment. 

Energy Sparks

Recycle Now

Recycle Now provide resources to help introduce teaching of recycling in the curriculum, as well as how to improve recycling collections in your school. 

Recycle Now

Better Planet Schools 

Better Planet Schools is an environmental education programme for primary schools, that helps to engage teachers and pupils in environmental awareness and impacts. They are currently running funded FREE places on their programme for primary schools in Essex which provides access to teaching resources, activities and videos. Schools that took part in Essex in the pilot, reduced their school’s energy consumption by 12% on average.  

Better Planet Schools