Glebe School

The school provides a curriculum for students with multiple moderate learning difficulties, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Students have social and communication difficulties. Through the leadership of the head, the school provides a caring environment where difference is acknowledged and each student is valued.

The education for sustainability co-ordinator (ESC), who is also a geography specialist teacher, is supported by the head who values the approach and emphases that are applied to this area of the curriculum. These are consistent with the general ethos of the school. The head is willing to provide additional staff time and financial assistance to facilitate developments in education for sustainability. The ESC is well established in the school; he is well qualified and has recently undertaken a Masters degree in Education for Sustainability at The University of the South Bank. Currently there are as many as ten staff directly involved with different aspects of education for sustainability.

>Threading it through the curriculum

It is a feature of this school that the learning support staff are also particularly involved; two especially have undertaken professional development to improve their expertise in this area (one has undertaken an organic gardening course to complement the horticultural emphasis elsewhere in the curriculum). Sustainability is also part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award training that many students undertake.

An important feature of the planning that takes place in the school, mainly led by the ESC, is that there are periodic reviews of progress and the setting of targets for future development. This is carried out by staff across the disciplines involved, including support staff and students are involved where possible. The school has developed its policies for including sustainability in the curriculum and management of the school by working in collaboration with different 'stakeholders' who have a direct interest in the school, including staff, students, parents, governors, as well as those more removed from the day to day running of the school, such as the Bromley Garden Project , WWF and Eco-Schools.

The Value-Added performance of the school is good. There is a high level of motivation from staff and students for the curriculum with which they are engaged and the added relevance provided by education for sustainability. This is apparent when speaking to staff and students in the school.

The school buildings and estate are treated as an important resource for student learning in sustainability. The school participates in the 'Globe Project', which invites people to monitor environmental aspects locally and to report their findings on a national website. The students recently have also begun to carry out energy audits around the school.

School council

An important principle of the school is to give students the opportunity to try things if they feel motivated to do so and to learn to participate in an unthreatening environment.

The school council is active with good representation across the school. It is well managed by the staff who achieve a reasonable balance between direction and allowing the students to manage their own affairs. Meetings occur every two weeks with agendas arrived at collaboratively and minutes written by a student.

There is a strong emphasis on 'learning by doing' but this is also associated with collaborative learning and through a participatory approach the school has developed a 'collaborative learning cycle'. This is explicitly used by students in the various tasks and problem-solving activities they undertake around the school. Reflection is an essential part of this process and comments they make such as 'working together helps' and 'we can put our ideas together and help each other' reflect what they genuinely seem to think of the effectiveness of this approach.

Making it happen...

• The head has a sympathetic appreciation of the importance of education for sustainability where it is given a wide interpretation. The principles fit well with the ideals and ethos of the school.
• The head is well-liked and respected for his ideas and approaches to educating the students in the school, taking account of their particular needs. He is encouraging and seen as open minded and receptive to new ideas from his staff.
• The school has purposely decided to make horticulture, which is given a wide interpretation to include business management, an important element in their education for sustainability initiatives. This provides a tangible focus, which the students find motivating. It also provides a valuable link with the local community.
• At present the school grounds in particular are used explicitly to help learning to take place but it is planned that this will also include the buildings. Students are involved in decision making and bringing about changes.