Sustainable schools: buildings and grounds

Fact -Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects must meet a minimum of ‘very good’ in the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standards for design and construction, which include sustainability aspects.

Fact - 87 per cent of school leaders feel that headteachers and architects are the key players in delivering sustainable school buildings.

Fact - studies have shown that schools incorporating passive solar features, such as daylighting, use less energy, student grades have improved, and attendance is higher (EnergySmart Schools).

The buildings and grounds doorway is 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. It ranges from choosing building technologies, interior furnishing and equipment with a low impact on the environment to developing grounds in way that helps pupils learn about the natural world and sustainable living.

Doorway booklet - buildings and grounds

Top tips for sustainability in buildings and grounds.

Distribute leadership by sharing out the work for developing sustainability in your buildings and grounds. Give specific responsibilities and set targets for staff, pupils, parents and governors.
Think about how you could involve the whole school community in working together to improve 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 the 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, such as through posters or computer screen savers.
Think about any relevant CPD for staff and governors: some school staff have undertaken gardening courses.
Consider using existing programmes and award schemes to provide structure for your sustainability work.
Seize the opportunity presented by Building Schools for the Future and the Primary Capital Programme to make your school a resource for action-centred teaching and learning.

Case studies

Creating a community woodland - Aintree Davenhill Primary School

Using the school grounds as an extended classroom - Coombes Infant and Nursery School

Distributed leadership for sustanability - Aintree Davenhill Primary School

Education for sustainability in an extended school - Bowbridge Primary School

A week of sustainability learning experiences - Bydales School

Everyone can lead sustainability - Colby Primary School

Developing sustainability across a federation - The Durham Community Business College and Fyndoune Community College

Incorporating sustainability into life at a special school - Glebe School

Using sustainability to develop staff and pupil leaders - Lark Rise Lower School

A whole-school approach to sustainability - Meare Village Primary School

A 20-year journey towards sustainability - Milton Mount Primary School

Sustainability in an early years setting - Monkchester Road Nursery

Maximising student participation in sustainability - Ringwood School

From special measures to outstanding provider - St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School’s

Placing sustainability at the heart of a new school community - St Martin’s at Shouldham Primary School