Be a more sustainable school

AfSL can help your school be more sustainable, helping you take action to use less energy, create less waste and be more aware of how your food affects the environment.

Here are some examples of what we offer. Further down the page you will find some practical examples. If you can't see what you're looking for here, please get in touch as we are always willing to develop new ideas in partnership with schools.

Save energy with Project Zero

This is AfSL's proven approach to helping schools make immediate reductions in energy use.

Schools that worked with us recently saw their electricity consumption fall by 20-40%. One school cut their gas use by 80%.

Schools receive the equivalent of four full days of support, culminating in a week of energy-saving:

whole school assemblies
lessons on energy saving and climate change
action planning with the eco-team or school council to set up a pupil-led energy monitoring team
training and support for teaching and non-teaching staff
an energy-saving competition within the school and possibly with other schools

"Project Zero is fantastic. It has raised awareness of the environment so much. Now pupils and almost as importantly, their parents, feel that small actions really make massive change." Carolin Ellin (Deputy Head, St Catherine's RC Primary School, )

Be a Sustainable School with the AFSS programme

A Few Small Steps (AFSS) is our school mentoring programme. Using an integrated 'whole school approach', staff and students participate in identifying current good practice and opportunities for change. Through lessons, school council action planning and technical support, we work with all members of the school community to bring about real and lasting change.

Schools receive around 10 days of sustainability mentoring around 3 main topics:

Energy – reduction in schools energy use, with an initial target of 10% reduction on current energy costs. We aim to reduce a school's energy usage both during the project and by embedding ongoing energy saving practices into the school and its community

Food – awareness of healthy food, growing & composting, multi-cultural foods and the environmental impacts of different diets

Waste and Recycling – reducing the amount of unnecessary materials used in schools and increasing recycling rates

"A Few Small Steps has helped us make our school greener through a whole school approach. With AfSL's help, children are engaging with the issues and taking practical action in their homes. It's fantastic!" Birgitte Johnson (Parent Governor, St Hilda's Primary School, Trafford)

Other services for schools

We can also offer services tailored to your school's particular needs, including:

assemblies
after-school clubs
provision of resources & teaching materials
staff training & support
support for senior leaders and business managers on sustainability
sustainable procurement advice
coordinating links to other local service providers.
coordinating a wide-range of volunteering opportunities in local communities and with other schools.

Why should you get involved?

There are many benefits from taking action on sustainability. They include:

Improve aspects of Ofsted reporting
Save money on bills in the face of rising fuel costs
Deliver the National Curriculum in a real life context
Encourage social responsibility and global citizenship
Enhance Eco-schools & Healthy Schools status
Develop school and wider community links

How can you get involved?

For any further information please email us at [email protected]

Case study - energy saving at St Wilfrid's,

The school took part in Project Zero 2010 and saw its energy use fall by 26% as a result of the whole school community playing its part. Children reported that their parents took action to reduce energy use at home, such as installing loft insulation, as a result of them having talked about energy-saving during the project.

“They’re developing confidence and been the role models and making sure people are turning the lights off. And they’re able to have their say to staff without coming across as being cheeky, educating the staff as well” (Janet Powell, Eco Coordinator, St. Wilfrid’s)

Case study - Project Zero in a cluster of Wrexham schools

AfSL's team worked simultaneously in five Wrexham schools that competed to save the most energy. the competition captured the imagination of pupils, staff and parents and schools' electricity consumption in Project Zero week was 20-40% lower than normal. As a result of the project, one school slashed its gas use by 80% when the energy audit carried out bysubmit and pupils revealed that the central heating was on for unnecessarily long hours

Case study - Waste at Wilbraham Primary,

AfSL provided a sustainability mentor to Wilbraham. Following the waste module, recycling rates increased and the eco team made desk tidies, notebooks and plant pots from waste materials and sold these at the school's Green Day.

Case study - sustainability planning at St Paul's

We supported the senior leadership team to put together a sustainability action plan for the school. staff benchmarked their current performance and identified priorities for action, building on existing strengths as well as addressing some areas that the school wanted to develop. AfSL helped the school set clear objectives and identify actions designed to embed sustainability across the whole school and work towards an Eco Schools Green Flag award over the next two years.

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