The Best of the UKSSN

This year, the UKSSN has shared useful insights to help schools on their sustainability journeys. You can find all their articles in previous editions of Education Executive. Here, we’ve compiled some of their top tips on how your school can improve its environmental performance

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on EdExec

Empower Your Students

Beyond operational considerations, sustainability offers an invaluable opportunity for curricular integration and student empowerment. By integrating sustainability themes across the curriculum, schools can provide students with a holistic understanding of environmental issues and equip them with knowledge, skills and resilience.

Engaging students in local sustainability projects – particularly initiatives happening at their school – not only fosters a sense of ownership, nature connectedness and responsibility but also reduces anxiety and nurtures critical thinking and leadership.

Get Your Governors on Board

As stewards of their institutions, Governors and Trustees are uniquely positioned to embed sustainability into the fabric of school ethos and educational and operational practices. Governors, Trustees and senior leaders are ultimately responsible for ensuring that sustainability is not just a buzzword but a principle that is actively pursued. They have the power to appoint sustainability leaders and integrate sustainability into school policies, curricula, and operations. By advocating for sustainable practices, they can influence the school community’s attitudes and behaviours towards the environment.

Mind the Traps

Leadership of sustainability is easily undermined. When leaders demonstrate a disconnect between what they say and what they do – an example of power differentiation – and we can perceive that a policy is optional or perhaps applies to ‘person A’ less than ‘person B’. ‘Person A’ can quickly become the accepted norm. As with other critical policies – Safeguarding, Health and Safety – we need all leaders to champion sustainability and demonstrate compliance with the sustainability practices in order that we will succeed.

Incorporating sustainability into your school’s ethos requires a collective effort from students, governors, and leaders alike. By empowering students, engaging governors, and ensuring consistent leadership in sustainability practices, schools can create a more environmentally responsible culture.