Eco-Schools International Handbook
for International schools

© FEE Eco-Schools 2015 Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Neither FEE Eco-Schools nor the authors accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned, or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. All or part of this publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged.

The information and other materials in this Handbook are solely for the use of FEE member organisations and educational institutions wishing to join the Eco-Schools programme. Copying or use of the Criteria or other programme material for any other purpose will be subject to approval by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

FEE member organisations are the sole authorised advisory and assessment body for the Eco-Schools programme. Only partners, approved, trained and appointed by FEE member organisations are authorised to advise or assess an institution on their performance under the Eco-Schools Criteria.

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1What is Eco-Schools?

1.2A Brief History of Eco-Schools

1.3 About Eco-Schools – advantages for students

1.4 About Eco-Schools – advantages for schools

Chapter 2 Eco-Schools Methodology

2.1 Step ONE – Form an Eco Committee

2.2 Step TWO – Carry out on Environmental Review

2.3 Step THREE – The Action Plan

2.4 Step FOUR – Monitoring & Evaluation

2.5 Step FIVE - Link to the Curriculum

2.6 Step SIX – Inform and Involve

2.7 Step SEVEN – Produce an Eco Code

Chapter 3 Themes

Chapter 4 Registration

4.1 How to register

4.2 Registration costs

Chapter 5 Application for the Green Flag

5.1 Applying for your first Green Flag

5.2 Renewing your Green Flag

5.3 Assessment costs

1.1What is Eco-Schools?

Eco-Schools is a fundamental initiative which encourages young people to engage in their environment by allowing them the opportunity to actively protect it. It starts in the classroom where it expands to the school and eventually fosters change in the community at large. Through this programme,young people experience a sense of achievement at being able to have a say in theenvironmental management policies of their schools,ultimately steering them towards certification and the prestige which comes with being awarded a Green Flag. The Eco-Schools programme is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environment in both the school and the local community while at the same time having a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people, their families, school staff and local authorities.

Include everyone

Combining learning with hands-on experiences, the whole programme is run according to an all-inclusive,participatory approach involving students,teachers and the local community at large.

Improve School Environments

The Eco-Schools programme is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environmental footprint of a school, a change which inevitably leads to a more sustainable, less costly, and more responsible school environment.

Motivate

Eco-Schools challenges students to engage in tackling environmental problems at a level where they can see tangible results, spurring them on to realise that they really can make a difference.

Improve Attitudes

Eco-Schools instils in students a sense of responsibility and cultivates a sustainable mindset which they can apply on a daily basis. It equips those involved with the drive to really make a difference, and to spread such proactive behaviour amongst family and friends, ultimately passing it on to future generations.

Involve Communities

Eco-Schools places great emphasis on involving the local community from the very beginning. It is anticipated that by doing so, the lessons the students pick up are transferred back into the community where they will take hold and lead to more sustainable, environmentallyresponsible behaviour patterns.

Connect Globally

Eco-Schools facilitates contact between participating institutions not just at the national level, but also internationally.Not only do these links provide an opportunity for schools to share environmental information, they can also be used as a means for cultural exchanges and improving language skills.

1.2A Brief History of Eco-Schools

The Eco-Schools International programme was developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education(FEE) as a response to the need to involve young people in environmental projects identified at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The programme's official start was in 1994, launched in Denmark, Germany, Greece and United Kingdom.

Eco-Schools is now run in59 countries around the world, linking more than 46,000 schools on six continents.

The Eco-Schools programme aims to raise students’ awareness of the environment and related sustainable development issues through classroom and outdoor study, and through school and community action. It provides an integrated system for environmental management of schools based on an ISO 14001/EMAS approach. Schools that have successfully achieved their set goals are awarded the International Green Flag - a prestigious eco-label testifying to the school’s commitment to fostering sustainable lifestyles now and in the future.

The Eco-Schools programme is one of five education for sustainable development programmes run internationally by FEE. In addition to Eco-Schools, FEE runs Green Key, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), Blue Flag, and Learning about Forests (LEAF).

Over the years, The Eco-Schools programme has developed into other related programmes: FEE EcoCampus, Eco-Centres, Eco-Clubs, Eco-Kindergartens.

1.3 About Eco-Schools – advantages for students

Eco-Schools is an international initiative designed to encourage whole-school action on sustainable development issues. It is an environmental management tool, a learningresource and a recognised award scheme. It inspires and empowers young people to take action towards an economically, socially and environmentally just world by:

  • creating leaders of change in their communities
  • empowering future decision-makers
  • widening their learning beyond the classroom
  • helping them develop responsible attitudes and commitment
  • increasing their levels of confidence and motivation
  • increasing their participation in environmental actions
  • improving their skills and knowledge in all subject areas, including teamwork
  • improving their mental and physical wellbeing.

Eco-Schools provides a framework for learning and action which affords awealth of opportunities for linkingsustainable development education with the everyday curricular work undertaken by schools - as well as enabling and encouraging closer links between schools and the communities around them.

1.4 About Eco-Schools – advantages for schools

Research has shown that schools that embrace education for sustainable development are also schools that succeed and do well. The Eco-Schools programme provides a simple framework to help make sustainability an integral part of school life. The programme is designed to help make every school sustainable and to bring about behaviour change in young people and those connected to them so that good habits learned in schools are followed through into homes and communities. Evidence shows that the Eco-Schools programme delivers:

  • an improved school environmental impact
  • involvement with the local community, other schools and organisations
  • financial savings
  • international connections
  • the embedding of sustainable development principles into the curriculum
  • the capacity to nurture and support intrinsic values (care, empathy, creativity, compassion)
  • improved wellbeing of children and staff
  • a sense of pride in the school among staff and students.

Any school can join the Eco-Schools programme, whether they are a nursery, primary school, secondary school, further education college, university, or a school with special status or special needs.

The Eco-Schools Seven Steps framework is a series of carefully engineered measures which a school must follow in order to maximise the success of their Eco-School ambitions. Involving students, staff, local businesses and the community at large, if the Seven Steps framework is properly embedded the school is on a sure road to sustainability.The most important aspect for schools to remember is that every school is different and it is therefore critical that a school fits the seven steps around its circumstances and situation and NOT try to fit the school into the seven steps.

Below is a menu/suggestions on how to implement the steps. A minimum of five points is required, however, generally, the more points you have the stronger the programme will be. One is always mandatory and is marked in Bold.

2.1 Step ONE – Form an Eco Committee

The Eco Committee aims to direct and address all phases of the Eco-Schools programme.It is the driving force of the programme and shouldensure that all of the Seven Steps are carried out.

Ideally, the committee includes pupils from each year group, teachers, non-teaching staff, management and parents.An ideal Eco Committee will also represent the views of the wider local community as well as the whole school. Examples of this include localcouncil representatives or other local environmental contacts, perhaps from the voluntary sector.

Performance Indicators

  • Students are nominated for the Eco Committee
  • Students select/elect members from nominations
  • Adults (from the school and community) are selected by the school
  • Adults are co-opted for specific tasks
  • Students chair meetings (under guidance from adult members if necessary)
  • Students take and publish minutes (sometimes with adult help) to show how decisions have been made
  • Students make up more than 50% of the Eco Committee members (mandatory)
  • The Eco Committee meets six to eight times a year – (some meet more often)
  • Minutes are displayed on the Eco-Schools notice board and school website (if the school has one)
  • Reports of the Eco Committee are presented at school council/board/parents meetings
  • Student Eco Committee members are responsible for reporting to all other students and for bringing their ideas back to the Eco Committee meetings
  • Continuity is important in order to retain experience on the Committee – a good idea is to have 25% of the members to sign up for two years

2.2 Step TWO –Carry out on Environmental Review

The aim of the review is to identify the initial situationwithin the school regarding the environmental Themeunder investigation (e.g. litter and waste, energy etc.).

Before you even start to think about the solution you need to find out more about the problem. The Environmental Review is an open-ended checklist of all aspects of the school’s impact on the environment in relation to the 10 Main Themes.

Performance Indicators:

  • Establish firm baselines – this is really important – initial surveys may need to be carried out to do so
  • An Environmental Review is undertaken at least once a year to
    evaluate overall progress on all Main Themes
  • The Environmental Review is managed by students and adults on the Eco Committee
  • A review document (environmental check list) is used. The document covers different aspects of environmental impact
  • The results of the review are collated in a document and displayed on the Eco-Schools notice board and website (if the school has one)
  • Student members of the Eco Committee collect suggestions for action from school classes or tutor groups
  • Students are involved (age appropriately) in the review process
  • Students on the Eco Committee take responsibility for leading on some action areas (in twos or threes)
  • A map of the school is included to visualise areas for improvement around the school
  • Legislation is checked for compliance (e.g. it is a legal requirement in UK that schools are litter free)
  • Commitment from head teacher/schools administration to look into possibilities of procurement policy of sustainable practices. Some countries insist on a copy of the school’s Procurement Policy as part of the Assessment for Green Flag
  • Some countries/schools carry out two reviews. The first to establish Themes and areas to target. The second review at the end of the year to establish progress and starting point for the new cycle
  • Publish results and inform the community to get feedback to (and from) the National Eco Committee
  • Depending on the size of the school/classes, classes can carry out their own Environmental Class Review

If this is your first Environmental Review, Eco-SchoolsSimple Environmental Reviewtemplate can be downloaded to guide your committee through each topic in which your school may have an environmental impact.

You are very welcome to devise your own Environmental Review document, based on this. This is additional work for the Eco Committee, and it can be useful and creative work as part of the curriculum, depending on whether your school works with design etc.

2.3 Step THREE – The Action Plan

The Action Plan aims to identify goals and providea structured timetable for the reduction of theenvironmental impacts identified in the Environmental Review.

The Action Plan is the core of the Eco-Schools programme. It is a timetabled series of specific goals for improvement over a fixed time scale.

Performance Indicators

  • The Action Plan prioritises targets
  • The Action Plan is a working document that changes as you monitor and evaluate
  • Targets should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time- bound
  • The Action Plan shows cost implication and includes information about how eachactivity will be monitored and evaluated
  • Negotiate timescales for each action
  • Is the target action to be achieved in the short, medium or longer term?
  • Decide how you will measure success in achieving your objectives
  • Make sure it is something that you can measure, e.g. if tackling energy your measure could bea reduction in the school's energy bills. Specific example could be: We will reduce energy consumption by 10% in one school year. We will use energy bills to monitor our progress
  • Decide who is to be responsible for each action. Wherever possible, this should involve students, and not just students from the Eco Committee
  • Include a section for monitoring any financial costs you may incur with your activities
  • Submit to National Operator as part of the Green Flag process
  • The Action Plan has to be shared with the whole school.

An example of an Action Plan can be found here.

You are very welcome to devise your own Action Plan document, based on this. This is additional work for the Eco Committee, and it can be useful and creative work as part of the curriculum, depending on whether your school works with design etc.

2.4 Step FOUR – Monitoring & Evaluation

Monitoring your Eco-Schools programme will ensure that progress towards targets is checked, amendments made where necessary, and success celebrated.

Performance Indicators

  • The Eco Committee monitors and reviews progress against the Action Plan's set timeframe and targets
  • They build on successes and decide on remedial action when activities are not
    proving successful
  • Students are engaged in some (as much as possible) monitoring and evaluation and data is used in some curriculum work (learning skills)
  • Progress and challenges are communicated to the whole school and wider
    community for evaluation and debate
  • The school demonstrates progress (i.e., school understands issue, recognises value of sustainable development and has implemented change) on several large-scale projects addressing at least three Eco-Schools Themes
  • Progress is on display with the Action Plan
  • Monitoring identifies areas for continuous improvement

2.5 Step FIVE - Link to the Curriculum

The aim is to integrate the Eco-Schools programme with the curriculum work of the school when and where possible.

The principle behind Eco-Schools is that environmental topics being studied in the classroom should influence the way the whole school operates. What you decide to study should, if possible, enhance the environmental actions (i.e., your Action Plan) being undertaken by your school. This will provide greater relevance for the students.
Performance indicators

  • Collected data (Environmental Review) is used within the school’s curriculum
  • The school has named individuals (school champions) responsible for education for sustainable development
  • School staff are provided with professional development and training on best practices, knowledge and skills for education for sustainable development
  • Students have an opportunity at all grade levels and across disciplines to address environmental issues
  • Participative pedagogies encourage students to be involved in activities and decision-making
  • Situational pedagogies offer student activities in real life, like in the school or community setting
  • Pedagogy adopted offers opportunities to teach students skills and knowledge and engage them in actions (i.e. empowering students as ‘change agents’)
  • Eco-Schools activities are sufficiently discussed as part of the curriculum
  • School subjects includes Eco-Schools Themes and examples show how the Theme was processed on different educational levels and school subjects
  • Schools work on highlighting changes in behaviour or/and school performance
  • Eco-Schools Themes, all theme days, happenings, competitions, projects, and celebrations are included in curricular planning.

Examples of Links to the Curriculum can be found here.
We would love to hear about other innovative ways that your school links to the curriculum. Do let us know in your application for a Green Flag or in an Action for our Global Action Days.