Sustainability & Environmental
Policy
Issue 3
April 2014
PURPOSE
The aim of this policy is to ensure that the school functions in a way that is not
harmful to the environment and in such a way that empowers and educates young
people for a sustainable future, intertwining awareness, responsibility for and care of
the environment through its teaching provision and learning, in its values and ways of
thinking and in its engagement with the wider community.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all school Staff, Volunteers, Students, Trustees/Board Members
Parents and Guardians.
DEFINITIONS
Sustainable Development refers to:
 Conservation of resources such as energy, wood, paper, horticulture and
water
 Reduction of pollution such as ozone depleting substances, vehicle emissions,
asbestos, hazardous substances, batteries, solvents and paints,
biodegradables and litter
 The procurement of supplies and resources from sustainable or renewable
sources
 Responsible waste management
POLICY STATEMENT
The School understands its responsibility to behave in a responsible and far sighted
way with regard to the environment and to work towards nationally agreed
environmental objectives. Implementing sustainable practices and policies not only
ensures compliance with the law but also makes good business sense. The benefits
include a reduction in the school’s running costs by using less energy and producing
less waste.
The school will endeavour to include staff, students and parents in its vision, and
work to link sustainable development into school projects and the curriculum.
PROCEDURES
In this school the sustainable schools framework will be implemented where
practicable and the following principles will be applied:
 The school will endeavour to follow model energy efficiency principles in
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
1









renewable energy and water conservation, developing opportunities for
energy conservation, wherever possible, such as insulation, rainwater
harvesting and grey water recycling.
The school will endeavour to use energy-efficient and low-power equipment
wherever possible.
The school will support, wherever possible, sustainable travel initiatives such
as combined travel by using school buses and walking where practicable.
The procurement strategy will emphasise looking for value-for-money and
repairing, reusing and recycling as much as possible, also procuring goods
and services from local sources that embrace high environmental and ethical
standards.
Sustainable development will be included in the curriculum wherever
appropriate with the aim of increasing the awareness of students for
environmental sustainability and global environmental concerns.
The school will conduct an environmental review, including a review of the
school’s energy and water usage, waste production and the state of the
school grounds in terms of litter. (Appendix 1 Environmental Review Checklist)
All staff should support sustainability by co-operation with energy saving and
waste reduction/recycling initiatives, and by taking necessary steps to
conserve energy by turning lights, taps, computers and electrical equipment
off when not in use and not leaving them on standby, etc.
Staff and students should make themselves responsible to bring to the
attention of the Senior Teacher or CEO any additional ways of conserving
energy and reducing waste that have not been implemented already.
The school will produce an Action Plan reflecting the issues identified in the
Review and will include all members of the school community including
students and staff in its review process.
The Action Plan will be monitored and reviewed on an annual basis
demonstrating progress made.
CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION about Focus School Stockport
Campus relevant to the Sustainability & Environmental Policy and its
implementation in the Campus.
Focus School Stockport Campus Trustees acknowledge that the current school
infrastructure does not lend itself to a good Sustainabilty and Environmental record.
In particular the heating system is extremely inneficient. The Trustees commit
themselves to minimising waste and environmental pollution by maintaining a culture
of frugality amongst the students and staff, assisted by the school council.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
Appendix 1 Environmental Review Checklist
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
2
LEGISLATION





Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000
Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000
Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994
Sustainable Energy Act 2003
Environment Act 1995
ISSUED BY
Focus Learning Trust
Issue date: April 2014
Review date: April 2015
Version: 3
Signed by Chair of Board of Trustees: __________________________________
At a Trust Meeting on (date): __________________________________________
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
3
Sustainability & Environmental
Policy
Issue 3
April 2014
Appendix 1
Environmental Review Checklist
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
4
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW CHECKLIST
School
Focus School Stockport Campus
Date of review
22nd May 2013
Carried out by
Simon Beech
Theme
Checklist Item
Energy
Is there someone in the school with
responsibility for monitoring the
consumption of energy including
electricity, heating, etc?
Yes
No
Notes
Simon Beech
Is energy use/cost monitored and
audited on a regular basis?
Are energy meters easily visible to
pupils and are pupils involved in taking,
recording and analysing readings?
Does each classroom have its own
heating thermostat and heating controls
which are regularly checked and
serviced?
Is heat loss through windows reduced
by:

fitting draught excluding strips

fitting solar reflecting film

closing windows when heating is on
(use of class window monitors)

appropriate maintenance (ie
replacing cracked windows and
ensuring windows can be closed)

fitting double glazing where
appropriate?
Some windows have reflective
film
Is heat loss through doors reduced by:

fitting draught excluding strips

closing doors when heating is on
(use of class window monitors)

appropriate maintenance (ie
replacing damaged doors and
ensuring they can be closed)

fitting double glazing

fitting self-closing doors/closers?
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
5
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
6
Is heat loss through buildings reduced
by:

adequate levels of insulation

adequate maintenance

good energy efficient building
design?
Is the cost of lighting/electricity reduced
by:

using low-energy light bulbs and
fluorescent tubes

ensuring that lights and electrical
items are turned off when not in use

ensuring that rooms have adequate
natural light and that windows are
clean?
Are boilers, heating systems and
radiators of an energy efficient design
and are they regularly serviced?
Boilers are regularly serviced
but they are not efficient
Does the school invest in the following
sources of renewable energy?

Wind.

Solar.

Wood fuel.

Ground source heat pumps.

Other forms.
Are there adequate energy-usage and
conservation signs in place?
Does the school have a clear energyusage and conservation policy?
Litter
Is there a serious problem of
rubbish/litter in the school grounds?
Does the school have a clear anti-litter
policy?
Are there adequate litter bins inside the
school buildings? Are any bins
overflowing?
Are there adequate litter bins outside
the school buildings? Are any bins
overflowing?
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
7
Are there any areas in the school
grounds that are littered where there
are no bins?
Are litter bins of an appropriate size and
design and are they regularly emptied
and kept clean?
Waste
management and
recycling
Does the school carefully control the use
of resources such as paper, pencils, ink
cartridges, pens, envelopes, etc?

Does the school recycle any of the
following?

Paper.

Card.

Plastic.

Cans.

Inkjet cartridges.

Other items.
Is an adequate amount of school food
waste composted? How much?
Is school food packaging minimized,
biodegradable, or recyclable?
Not Applicable
Are recycling schemes run to raise
money for the school and/or involve the
local community, eg mobile phones,
jumble sales?
Does the school encourage reuse of
materials, eg water bottles?
Does the school have clear policies on
reducing waste and encouraging reuse
and recycling?
Water
Does the school have a water meter to
record its usage?
Is the meter easily visible to pupils and
are pupils involved in taking, recording
and analysing readings?
Are the toilets designed to reduce water
loss eg low-volume flush, flush on
demand urinals etc? What percentage?
Are hand-basin taps of the push-on or
self-stopping or movement-activated
type which turn themselves off after
use? What percentage?
Does the school have a problem with
taps left running?
Is there an effective maintenance
system in place whereby dripping taps
and other leaks are mended promptly?
Does the school run water-saving
campaigns?
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
8
Are there water-saving signs in place?
Does the school have a policy on
grounds water use?
Does the school have any schemes to
use recycled or “grey” water?
Does the school have clear waterusage and conservation policies in
place?
Transport
Does the school conduct any survey or
audit of how pupils travel to school
which includes road use?
Not Applicable
Does the school have sufficient dry and
secure cycle storage?
Does the school support and encourage
cycle use, including through cycle
proficiency and training schemes?
Does the school have a network of
“safe routes” to walk or cycle?
Not Applicable
Does the school have any of the
following?

Walking bus scheme.
Not Applicable

Cycle train.
Not Applicable

Park and stride.
Not Applicable

Other similar scheme.
Not Applicable
Do any of the school transport vehicles
(buses, taxis, etc) run on alternative
fuels?
Does the school have a school travel
plan?
Does the school have a pedestrian and
cycle entrance that is separate from
vehicle access?
Procurement
Not Applicable
Does the school buy stationery products
(paper, pencils, pens, etc) made from
recycled content?
Are hand towels and other disposable
paper products purchased with recycled
content?
Does the school provide and promote
healthier food at break times and
lunchtimes with ingredients which are
sourced locally wherever possible?
Does the school procure any Fairtrade
items?
Does the school use environmentally
friendly cleaning products?
Does the school procure its resources
from sources which are sustainable and
which also have sustainable
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
9
development polices?
Does the school have a clear
procurement policy which includes
sustainability issues?
Biodiversity,
environmental
considerations and
pollution

Does the school have an adequate
proportion of school grounds that
are given over to:

playing fields

hedges

flower beds

trees

seating and play areas?

Does the school have an
environmental conservation or
wildlife area?

Is the area protected?

Does it include a pond?
Not Applicable
Does the school grounds staff use
chemical pesticides and herbicides?
Does the school have any plants in
containers, pots or beds in the school
grounds?
Does the school maintain any of the
following?

Bat boxes.

Bird boxes and feeders.

Log piles.

Butterfly friendly plants.

Worm farms.

Other wildlife habitats.
Does the school have links with any
local or national environmental
organisations?
Are pupils involved in maintaining the
biodiversity?
Does the school use its biodiversity
resources in the curriculum?
Does the school recycle garden or
fruit/vegetable waste in a composter or
wormery?
Local and global
perspectives
Do pupils consider how actions taken
within the school affect people and the
environment locally and globally?
Have pupils been encouraged to
explore how environmental issues might
be approached in other parts of the
world?
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
10
Are the opportunities for considering
local and global environmental issues
maximised through the curriculum?
Has the school made use of materials
from other organisations to help with
this topic?
Inclusion and
Participation
Are efforts made in the school to
encourage full pupil participation in
environmental issues, eg are
environmental issues considered in
school assemblies?
Are environment-related lessons or
visits undertaken by classes or groups,
eg paper making, visits to
environmental venues, etc?
Are pupils involved with local
waste/recycling/conservation, etc
projects outside school time or via links
with schools abroad, etc?
Other schoolspecific issues
Sustainability and Environmental Policy Issue No3 April 2014 ©Focus Learning Trust
11