Buildings and grounds
“By 2020 the government would like all school buildings old and new to make visible use of sustainable design features and, as opportunities arise, to choose building technologies, interior furnishings and equipment with a low impact on the environment.We would like all schools to develop their grounds in ways that help pupils learn about the natural world and sustainable living,for example, through food growing and biodiversity conservation.”
The buildings and grounds doorway is all about turning the whole fabric of your school into a place where pupils, staff and the wider school community can learn about and practise sustainable living every day.
Top tips for sustainable buildings and grounds
Read on for tips on how to make your school buildings and grounds more sustainable.
- Distribute leadership responsibilities by sharing out the work for developing sustainability. Give specific responsibilities and targets for staff, pupils, parents and governors to meet.
- Get everybody on board and think about how you might involve the whole school community in improving the immediate environment.
- Look beyond the school to share what you are doing and what is working well. Get ideas from others about how to develop your work further and possibly open some parts of the school as a community resource.
- Think globally to share ideas. How could you build international connections and contacts?
- Help students drive this agenda forward. Give your school council or eco team its own budget and involve students in writing funding bids for larger projects.
- Think about how you communicate this work to everyone. Use the whole school environment to drip feed environmental messages.
Schools focusing on buildings and grounds
