Climate Change and Doncaster Schools
Doncaster Council supports schools to take action against climate change and help the environment, including assisting schools with their carbon reduction strategy.
Support for schools
There are lots of people and organisations who can help schools in Doncaster improve their environmental performance. Find below details of just a few of them.
Active Students Award Scheme
To encourage Doncaster's young people to get involved in energy efficiency issues in their schools, Doncaster Council set up an Active Students Awards Scheme in 2007. The scheme helps schools towards the 2020 Sustainable Schools targets and support is available from Doncaster Council throughout the process. There are 3 levels within the scheme - Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Bronze Certificate
To qualify there must be students who act as energy monitors in all parts of the school and they must:
- Demonstrate knowledge of room heating and cooling down and the most energy efficient ways to manage room temperatures
- Have been active for at least 1½ terms
Actions that energy monitors could do (and encourage others to do) would include:
- Opening windows in hot weather rather than turning on electric fans
- Closing all windows and doors to allow rooms to heat up rather than thermostats being turned up (this doesn't heat up a room more quickly but causes overheating and wastes fuel)
There should be a good understanding of measures to save energy amongst the adults in the school.
Silver Certificate
This can be awarded alongside or after the Bronze Certificate.
The school must demonstrate:
- Energy monitors in all classrooms who have been taking action to reduce energy usage in the school
- A lower fuel bill (evidenced by regular monitoring records or by comparing a current utility bill with the same quarter the previous year)
Gold Certificate
The Gold Certificate is the top energy efficiency award for schools from Doncaster Council. It provides a great start for those schools that want to work towards the Eco-Schools Bronze Award.
To qualify for a Gold Certificate, the school must have an Action Team to improve school energy efficiency and also must choose to tackle one other topic from the 2020 Sustainable Doorways:
- Energy and Water
- Food and Drink
- Traffic and Travel
- Purchasing and Waste
- Buildings and Grounds
- Inclusion/Participation
- Local Well Being
- Global Dimension
The Action Team must be made up of students and will have:
- Met at least 3 times in the year
- Looked at the school and identified where steps could be taken to reduce energy and progress action on their other chosen topic (Environmental Review)
- Devised an Action Plan and have evidence of successfully implementing all, or a reasonable amount, of their planned actions (depending on how ambitious the Action Plan is)
Also the school must demonstrate that there is a pro-active attitude throughout the school towards energy saving and towards their chosen topic.
Be aware that there are lots of people who can help schools with advice and expertise. Contact the Project Officer who can signpost schools to the relevant Officer within the Council.
The Sustainable Environment Section Teacher Resource Pack will be available to download soon from Doncaster Council's website in the Energy and Sustainability Section. It will contain information on how the Section can help schools address the 8 Sustainable School Doorways as well as allowing an overview of the lessons.
Further information
To find out more about tackling climate change issues in your school, please contact:
Claire George,
Doncaster Council,
Energy and Sustainability Section
T: 01302 737053
E: [email protected]
Alternatively, write to her at Safer, Stronger, and Sustainable Communities, Neighbourhood , Doncaster Council, 3rd Floor, PO Box 257, Council House, College Road, Doncaster, DN1 1RN
Doncaster Climate School News
