Members' library

• Leading schools
  • Sustainable schools
    • Developing a sustainable school
      • Beginner, performer, leader, pioneer
      • 10-point programme for getting started
      • Valuing our future toolkit
      • Food and drink
      • Energy and water
      • Travel and traffic
      • Purchasing and waste
      • Buildings and grounds
      • Inclusion and participation
      • Local wellbeing
      • Global dimension
      • Further information and resources

Sustainable schools: energy and water

Fact - England’s schools system is responsible for 9.4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year and heat and power used in school buildings account for 37 per cent of those emissions (Sustainable Development Commission).

Fact - schools spend around £106m a year on water - a large secondary school can spend as much as £20,000 (Eco-Schools).

Fact - careful water management together with an effective education programme can reduce water use by two-thirds, saving a school of 600 pupils around £5,000 every year (Eco-Schools).

Few schools can be unaware of the need to reduce their energy consumption to tackle climate change and to cut back on water consumption to save the planet’s resources for future generations. One of the most effective ways to approach this doorway is to conduct a thorough audit of energy and water usage and involve the whole school in working out ways to become more energy efficient and to monitor and reduce future consumption.

Doorway booklet - energy and water

Top tips for sustainability in energy and water usage.

• Review resources by looking at fuel and water consumption.
• Delegate responsibility to a number of people to carry out an audit in different areas and look at ways of being more efficient.
• Get the whole school involved in thinking of energy-saving ideas and ways of harvesting rainwater.
• Tap into the skills and ideas of parents and find out what they are doing at home.
• Give time and status to your sustainability co-ordinators so they know they are valued.
• Get students involved in setting up a committee that can develop a sustainability code and mission statement for the school.
• Consider how you could communicate your vision beyond school -  think about holding a high profile event to show the wider community what you are trying to achieve.
• Focus on learning: buy energy display meters so students can record data and monitor changes in energy use and involve external agencies to vary the learning experience for students.
• Think globally by sharing ideas and projects with partner schools in other countries.
• Find out what other schools are doing and try to co-ordinate your aims so you can work together on projects and share resources.

Case studies

Combining energy conservation and energy generation - Brill School

A week of sustainability learning experiences - Bydales School

From coal to zero carbon - Cassop School

Developing a clear vision for sustainability - Settle College