Change your school
What does your school do to tackle climate change?
Work out your School’s Global Footprint and act to reduce it.
- How much waste is the school producing and how is it disposed of?
- How much energy does the school consume? How much water is your school using?
- How big is the school’s transport footprint?
- How much food does the school consume?
- How much material has the school used to construct its building?
'Our school footprint is large but hopefully we can reduce it through greater awareness of global issues. I think it’s important that we know what the problems are so that we can change the way we act in school and outside.'S1 pupil, Our Lady’s High School, Cumbernauld
The Schools' Global Footprint resource has been developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland in collaboration with the WWF to help you to understand the environmental effect you have on the planet and how you can reduce this impact.
You can use the Global Footprint Calculator to measure your school’s carbon footprint, record practices good or bad, initiate change and record positive action.
Is your school an Eco School? If not, why not?
The Eco Schools Programme is an international initiative designed to encourage whole-school action for the environment.
If your school isn't an Eco School then talk to your headteacher about registering and forming an Action Team.
In 2007, Portobello High School became the first secondary school in Scotland to be awarded its third Green Flag for Eco Schools. The school is taking action to reduce the energy it uses, to recycle and reduce waste and to improve its playground.
Portobello High School has been assessed on six of the Eco School topics:
- transport - walking to school, bike sheds
- energy - energy audit and campaign
- school grounds - allotment, school grounds work
- waste (litter and recycling) - recycling survey and presentation, recycled art products
- water - installed water fountains throughout the school and provision of water bottles to pupils
- health and well-being - further development of the school allotment and provision of fresh produce for use in lessons and promotions
‘Water’ and ‘health and well-being’ were the focus of Portobello’s Third Green Flag Award and linked with the school’s Health Promoting Schools’ Initiative.
The Eco Committee at Portobello is made up of pupil representatives from each year group and staff representatives from each faculty. The pupils drive the committee and the Chairperson and Secretary positions are held by senior pupils. This helps to involve pupils lower down the school.
Linked to the Eco Committee, but integral to the success of the Eco School initiative in the school, is an extra curricular group who are responsible for greenhouse activities, identification of funding opportunities and entry to various eco competitions.
We have also managed to sustain a motivated group of youngsters who help out at the school allotment – transferring plants from the greenhouse, weeding, watering and harvesting. One of the noted successes in our Third Green Flag Award was the greenhouse and allotment, as our produce is harvested and given to the Home Economics department for use in cookery lessons and in Health Promotion events. This cross cutting activity also links with Biology and RME (Ethics of Food Production).Shiona Park, Principal Teacher Geography, Portobello High School
Portobello High is now aiming for a Fourth Green Flag, focusing on waste minimisation and biodiversity. They intend to make their allotment more wildlife friendly and create a biodiversity garden within the school grounds.
Communicate
Work with others in your school to create a Climate Change event.
You could produce your own multimedia presentation (like Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’) to share your understanding of the science and ethics of climate change with:
- a younger year group, eg S1-S2
- your whole school
- your school’s parents’ council
- all parents at a parent’s evening
- local authority councillors and officers
- the wider community including local businesses.
Tell people about global warming and how they can help to fight it.
Make a video of your event, shoot your presentation, write blogs, make a short film, build websites, write articles… make your voice heard.
Tell us about the actions you and your school are taking to tackle climate change. We want to hear about your events and we’d like to see your multimedia presentations, your videos, your webpages and your articles. We want to share your work with the rest of Scotland.