Issue 2

27th September 2021

In this second edition of the Schools' Climate Education South
Yorkshire newsletter we are pleased to feature Eco-schools. Francis Hyland, Eco-schools Coordinator for England, who did a wonderful workshop for our July '21 Conference (which can be viewed here), has provided an up-date for us to the Eco-schools programme. We encourage all our schools to become active eco-schools. Let us know how you get on!

Eco-Schools is the World’s largest educational programme. The Seven Step framework was developed in 1994 to inspire young people to lead environmentalism in their school, local community and beyond. This unique, youth-led approach aims to make a difference now, whilst empowering young people with the skills and passion they need to continue engaging in environmentalism and creating positive change throughout their lifetimes.

The Eco-Schools programme is proud to be positive, supportive, inclusive, flexible and rewarding. You can find out more, register for free and begin working towards the internationally-recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag by clicking here:

A Brief Summary of Eco-Schools Updates and Improvements for 2021/22   

Francis Hyland (Eco-Schools Coordinator)

• For the first time, the Eco-Schools Green Flag becomes an Annual Accreditation with an application window open from 1^st May until 31^st July each year. This means that the programme can be more easily integrated into the school calendar and the Eco-Schools team is increasingly able to provide schools across England with targeted support, ideas and advice. On top of this, it also means the Eco-Schools Team will be able to produce an annual Eco-Schools impact report, which demonstrates the collective impact of young people in England working together to tackle the climate crisis.
• A new, online application process has been launched to award Eco-Schools Green Flags. Schools can now access and begin completing the application form as soon as their registration with the Eco-Schools programme has been approved, watching their Eco-Schools Green Flag progress bar increase in real time and making the entire application process more manageable and motivating.
• As part of the new online application process schools can also apply for an Eco-Schools Green Flag with Merit or Distinction should they wish. This provides additional recognition for schools who have gone above and beyond the Eco-Schools Green Flag criteria whilst working to reduce their ecological footprint.
• Over the summer months, the Eco-Schools team updated all Eco-Schools resources including new Eco-Schools Environmental Reviews, which are designed to audit what environmental actions schools are taking, whilst providing new eco-ideas and inspiration to young people. To access all of Eco-Schools’ free resources, schools simply need to register and login to their Eco-Schools account.
• The Eco-Schools programme is designed to be pupil-led, and for the first time the Eco-Schools team is recognising this on a national scale, by appointing a youth-led, national Eco-Committee, who amongst other tasks will be working with one of the leading awarding bodies to green the entire curriculum. You can read more about this once in a life time opportunity here.
• Finally, the Eco-Schools Team has also launched this year’s international Learning About Forests Programme - an international and entirely free award that advocates outdoor learning. You can learn more about forests here.

As always, the Eco-Schools Team are happy to support, advise and answer questions – if you would like to find out more about the Eco-Schools programme or its recent updates, you can get in touch here.

Here at SCESY our goal is also to create a supportive network of schools within the South Yorkshire region. So please let us know of your stories and successes so that we can share them in future newsletters. Send your photos, stories and video links to schools@scesy.org.uk

If you missed our first newsletter, you can find it here.

If you have not yet signed up with Schools Climate Education South Yorkshire, click the button below.