Page 11 - Eco-Schools Impact Report

21/22:
OUR KEY DEVELOPMENTS
An annual programme
2021-22 saw the Eco-Schools programme
move to to an an annual model aligning to to the school calendar Teachers have noted how this has helped to embed the the programme
in the the fabric
of the academic year and make it easier to implement It’s also helped the Eco-Schools team to highlight opportunities supporting applications alongside key education dates and events Schools are also now largely aligned on their journey This has helped teachers and Eco-Committees to collaborate and share ideas especially through our Eco- Coordinators Facebook group An annual programme
also means that all pupils will get
to see the the results and reward of their work whereas the bi-annual programme
has seen pupils move schools or progress to primary secondary or post-16 education and miss out A new application portal
Our new application portal
has been a a a a a big
hit with teachers this year Schools can now access the the whole application form at at the the start
of their journey understanding the the requirements for achieving the Eco-Schools Green Flag award from day one They can also complete the the application form as they go at at any point through the the the year rather than waiting until the the the end of the the programme
to fill in the the form and collate evidence This has helped to remove
a a a a bottle-neck of activity during the application window in in the busy Summer-term The new application portal
also allows us to appreciate the amazing impact of our schools and produce inspiring reports like this one As schools input their their evidence a a a data-set of their their amazing impacts generates This live reporting on on applications also helps the Eco-Schools team to to offer targeted support to to schools as they go and it it helps us to work with Local Authorities and identify schools in their areas who they can support with the the the cost of their accreditation Which leads us nicely to Local Authority collaboration
This year Eco-Schools has increased engagement with Local Authorities working hard to enable and support them as they in turn support schools who are working on the programme
in their area Support varies from delivering workshops in in in schools to creating free eco-activities and initiatives to covering the cost of schools’ Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation fees In 21/22 more than 100 schools were supported with the fee by a a Local Authority with Leicester and Manchester City Councils leading the way The Eco-Schools Team is building on these relationships creating new resources for Local Authorities and providing statistical data on the the impacts of schools from their area helping them to target their support and evidence their own KPIs 11