Sustainability in Schools

Sustainable development means meeting the needs of all people now – including protecting the natural habitats that are essential to our survival – without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is part of the Coalition Agreement, which states that we ‘need to protect the environment for future generations, make our economy more environmentally sustainable, and improve our quality of life and wellbeing’.

The School is committed to sustainable development and believes it is important to prepare young people for the future. Our approach is based on the belief that schools perform better when they take responsibility for their own improvement. The DFE 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.

Multiple sources of evidence suggest that being a sustainable school raises standards and enhances young people’s well-being. Research supports the idea that this is because sustainable schools engage young people in their learning, thereby improving motivation and behaviour, and also promote healthy school environments and lifestyles. Saving resources such as energy and water can also save schools significant sums of money. There are also physical and psychological benefits related to walking or cycling to school, eating more healthily and spending time in nature.