EcoSchools in Worcestershire
Indicator
EcoSchools in Worcestershire
Status
EcoSchools performance in Worcestershire is good, and continues
to improve.
Overview
Many partners within the Worcestershire Partnership (the County
Council, District Councils, Wildlife Trust, Duckworth
Worcestershire Trust and others) have encouraged schools to explore
their relationship with the environment. This has involved looking
both locally and globally, within the wider context of
sustainability, through a focus on:
- whole school approaches;
- practical action;
- outdoor learning; and
- curriculum development.
The International Eco Schools Award Scheme has been identified
within the County as an effective means of engaging school children
to take action on key issues such as waste, water, biodiversity,
energy, school grounds, transport, and litter (along with Healthy
Living and the Global Dimension).
It is a useful reflection of the perception of Worcestershire
citizens that many teachers and pupils from across the County
consider making Eco Schools a high priority within their places of
learning. This is reflected by the unusually high percentage of
schools within the County registered with the Scheme, and the
number of schools/colleges with the coveted Green Flag Award (an
independently assessed Award with a strict list of criteria to be
considered). The scheme is a useful demonstration of commitment
through practical action. Such action often involves significant
changes in behaviour, as children, young people, teachers and other
key stakeholders work towards the Green Flag Award.
Partners from across the County have also joined a Learning for
Sustainability Forum. The forum provides an opportunity to identify
ways in which organisations can support each other in moving
towards sustainability in schools. The forum helps to prioritise
key targets and actions to bring about more effective working. A
Learning for Sustainability Strategy is now available with a list
of prioritised targets and actions for the next 5 years. See
www.worcestershire.gov.uk/learningforsustainability
The work of Eco Schools supports the Worcestershire Local Area
Agreement 2008-11 priority "To support and improve the leading of
healthy lifestyles and well-being of adults and young people".
Although EcoSchools do not form part of the Delivery Plans for the
LAA, they do nevertheless indirectly support the specific indictor
NI110: Young people's participation in positive activities.
Visit the Local Area Agreement pages for more info on the
LAA
Performance
In Worcestershire there are currently 238 places of learning
registered with Eco Schools. Of these:
20 are Nursery units / Nursery schools
10 are Private schools
1 is a Colleges of Further and Higher Education
1 is a Pupil Referral Unit
206 are Worcestershire County Council Schools – about 80% of the
total number of County Council schools.
This information is correct at April 2009. Data is collected
from the National Eco Schools
website.
This currently places Worcestershire as having the 4th highest
percentage of schools registered with Eco Schools nationally, and
the County is seen as a national leader in the field of learning
for sustainability.
The performance of Worcestershire schools in engaging young
people as active participants around the theme of the environment
can, in part, be measured by looking at success within the Eco
Schools scheme.
The following table gives an outline of data:
Other Performance indicators (for instance linked to school
energy or water performance) are now available through the Learning
for Sustainability Strategy and the Schools Sustainability
Indicator Targets.
In addition to the information listed under Current Situation
linked to the national Eco Schools database, we have
our own database which is collated within the Planning, Economy and
Performance Directorate within Worcestershire County Council. This
data set includes links to other key initiatives such as School
Travel Plans, Healthy Schools, Forest Schools, etc. Edulink
also provides useful information about Worcestershire schools under
the Best Practice section of the website.
Geographical Context
Across the West Midlands, local authorities are exploring how
they can support schools and help them to become Sustainable
Schools. This follows the Sustainable Schools National Framework
developed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
(www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools).
There has been support for this process through the Government
Office for the West Midlands (GOWM), and there is now a Regional
Sustainable Schools Coordinator working part time based at GOWM.
The co-ordinator has organised a series of meetings and conferences
on sustainable schools for local authorities and voluntary
organisations building on the introductory events held during
2008.
The Eco Schools scheme is active in schools across most of the
West Midlands, but is only actively promoted by certain local
authorities, including Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire,
Telford and Wrekin and Staffordshire.
Actions
The outlook for increasing school registration with Eco Schools
is relatively restricted given that so many schools across the
County are already signed up and involved. It is nevertheless hoped
that inspiration for further recruitment to the scheme will
continue at c.10% annual increase (on previous numbers
registered).
An equally important are of focus (and the most strategically
significant for the County) will be work in supporting those
schools that are registered with the scheme in working towards and
achieving the Green Flag Award. This award demonstrates
considerable commitment and a significant level of activity around
the theme of sustainability across curriculum and campus (buildings
and grounds), through whole school culture and in the schools' work
with their communities.
Actions being coordinated for the support of schools working
towards the Eco Schools Green Flag Award and/or towards becoming
Sustainable Schools following the DCSF Framework are listed
below.
•Direct support for School Development Planning around the theme
of Sustainability through the Pathways School Development Tool
developed by WWF and piloted by Worcestershire County council over
2004-5;
•Direct support in getting started with Eco Schools;
•Direct support in preparing for a Green Flag Assessment
(pre-Green Flag assessment visit);
•Every term a series of District Eco Schools meetings for
teachers involved in the scheme;
•Each year for the past 3 years a series of conferences for
children, young people and their teachers have been held around Eco
Schools/Sustainable Schools. These are set to continue;
•Support with curriculum development.
Further Information
For a strategic overview of the County Council's current work in
education for sustainable development, please telephone 01907
766378 or email RBrakspear@worcestershire.gov.uk
Further information on EcoSchools and Learning for
Sustainability can be found at:
www.worcestershire.gov.uk/learningforsustainability
http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/ .
https://www.edulink.networcs.net/ .
www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools
Back to Public Behaviour/Perception Theme
