The Government recognises the unique role that schools play in securing the future for young people
- As places of teaching and learning, schools must help pupils understand the impact we have on the planet
- As models of good practice, schools must be places where sustainable living and working is demonstrated to young people and the local community
SCEMES Ltd is committed to providing schools with the resources that they need to achieve and teach sustainability. As producers of the ‘Headteachers and Bursars Handbook of Sustainable Procurement’, which is mailed free to over 30,000 schools, we specialise in providing UK schools with easy access to Local Businesses in the ‘Community Partners’ supply chain initiative.
The Headteachers and Bursars Handbook of Sustainable Procurement provides schools with a list of environmentally friendly product and service providers from within their local area and is rapidly becoming every teacher’s first point of reference to understanding and solving issues of sustainability within education.
To browse the Sustainable Products and Services Directory and find businesses in your area that could help your school become a model for sustainable living, click here.
Below is a list of resources which outline a range of ways to teach sustainable development both inside and outside the classroom:
- Schools Resources
- Schools Grounds and Wildlife
- Transport
- Waste and Recycling
- Water
- Energy
- Food Issues
- General
- Sustainable Schools A comprehensive introduction to the teaching of sustainable development.
- Eco Schools Find out how to register as an eco-school and work towards achieving your bronze, silver and green flag award.
- Eco Schools Wales
- Eco Schools Scotland
- Eco schools International Find out what is happening in other Eco Schools across the World and send in examples of what your school is doing.
- SUSchool Providing resources to help schools become more sustainable.
- Globe Programme An international scheme providing links between schools on an environmental theme.
- LA21 site A young people’s site including links to the children’s parliament and lots of other citizenship activities.
- TeacherNET A one-stop-shop for providing links to other sites and the curriculum for a whole school approach to sustainable development.
- Education 4 Sustainability (e4s) provides teachers with lesson planning materials on the sustainable use of water, textiles and timber resources and issues surrounding waste management.
- HDRA Organic Schools - Provides a wealth of information and ‘How To…’ leaflets.
- Learning through Landscapes - National school ground charity providing information and advice on the development of school grounds.
- Woodland Trust - A wealth of information on woodland management and a map service of woodlands across the UK.
- Groundwork This web site contains details on the national operation of Groundwork and includes specific information on school and education projects.
- Growing schools - designed to support teachers in using the outdoor classroom as a resource across the curriculum.
- Arkive - offers help with lesson plans, support materials and an archive of endangered species.
- World Wildlife Fund learning - supporting learning for sustainability.
- Safer Routes To Schools - Information on setting up a Safer Routes to school project.
- Sustrans - Charity promoting alternative travel solutions. Guides and information on the 7000 miles of the National Cycle Network.
- Sustainable School Travel - Department for transport database of classroom materials relating to sustainable travel.
- Alupro Recycling - A comprehensive website covering the recycling of aluminium cans in the UK.
- Waste Watch - A wealth of information on recycling and waste in the UK and curriculum resources for teachers on waste.
- Valpak - a selection of great recycling activities that can be carried out in the classroom or at home.
- The Recycling Consortium The Recycling Consortium's dedicated waste education projects have been running since 1998, with the aim of promoting the 3Rs message: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
- United Utilities - is the web site of the main utility provider in the county and includes curriculum packs and activities for schools. Also provides advice on running a water conservation programme within schools.
- Create - Lots of recourses for teaching energy in the classroom and how to reduce energy consumption in schools.
- EST - The Energy Saving Trust run an Energy Certification Scheme for Schools.
- The Manweb site provides background information on energy issues and includes a good section on the Rural Care Programme.
- Plugging into the Sun unique renewable energy educational resources, workshops and courses in sustainable development, energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
- Grab 5 - Lots of recourses, activities and competitions to encourage pupils to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.
- Local Food Works - A wealth of information on sustainable local food procurement.
- The Food Dudes contains resources and worksheets for teachers that may be downloaded and used in the classroom to reinforce the Food Dude healthy eating message.
- BBC Science and Nature - Provides very good background information on wildlife and science issues, from the extinction of the dinosaurs to Genetically Modifed Crops.
- Centre for Alternative Technology - The CAT website provides very practical information on possible solutions to many of the environmental challenges faced by our society. Schools may wish to consider visiting the centre or taking an online visit to the centre through the website.
- Council for Environmental Education - CEE is an umbrella organisation for making sustainable development education more coherent throughout the UK.
- Department For Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Provides a range of background information on environmental and farming issues and policy within the UK.
- Encams - Information on Encam campaigns for better local environments, from seaside awards to Britain in Bloom.
- Envirolink - One of the largest worldwide grassroots organisations concerned with providing up to date environmental resources. The site gives good links to other environmental web pages. Good ideas for school projects.
- Environment Agency - This is the official site of the government body regulating environmental issues in the UK and contains a range of useful information for schools. The site contains guidance note, good practice, legislation and codes of practice.
- Countryside Agency - Education pages from the public body charged with enhancing the English Countryside.
- Development Education Association - Aims to raise awareness and understanding of how global issues affect the everyday lives of individuals, communities and societies.
- Global Dimension - a helpful guide to books, films, posters and websites with a global dimension.
- Sustainable Technology Education Project aims to increase people's awareness of sustainable technology, enabling them to recognise the economic, environmental and social impacts of their own technology choices.
- The Soil Association the UK's leading environmental charity promoting sustainable, organic farming and championing human health.
- Friends of the Earth Offering a Global Action Plan giving advice about water use, waste, energy use and transport issues. The programme is curriculum linked and endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme.
- Oxfam Education a huge range of ideas, resources and support for developing the global dimension in the classroom and the whole school.