Sustainable schools doorways

Buildings and grounds

When looking at your building and grounds you have to think about turning the whole fabric of your school into a place where pupils, staff, and the wider school community can learn about - and practice - sustainable living every day.

This might mean choosing building technologies or interior furnishings and equipment for their low environmental impact, or simply developing your grounds in a way that helps pupils learn about the natural world and sustainable living.

The way in which school grounds are developed, used and managed can have a significant impact on pupils' attitudes and behaviour: towards school, each other, the wider environment and society. Pupils can spend as much as 25% of their time in the school grounds, so it's important that the experiences they have there are the best and most positive they can be.

Top tips for sustainability in buildings and grounds:

• distribute leadership by sharing out the work for developing sustainability in your buildings and grounds. Give specific responsibilities - and set targets - for staff, pupils, parents and governors;
• think about how you could involve the whole school community in working together to improve the immediate environment
• Ccrry out an audit of your school building and grounds to identify areas of potential improvement;
• look beyond the school to share what you are doing and what is working well. Get ideas from others about how to develop your work further and possibly open some parts of the school as a community resource;
• help students drive the agenda forward: give your school council or eco team its own budget and involve students in writing funding bids and applying for larger projects;
• think about any relevant continuous professional development (CPD) for staff and governors: some staff have undertaken gardening courses;
• use your school grounds as a tool for teaching and learning across the curriculum and the whole school community; and
• remember to work with the grounds maintenance team to make sure that they don't destroy your hard work by mistake.

Services from Manchester City Council

The Capital Programme Division in Manchester City Council's Corporate Services is responsible for the delivery of investment programmes through to school buildings on behalf of Children's Services. This includes teams involved in:

• Building Schools for the Future (BSF) - part of a national investment programme to high schools. The Manchester BSF programme involves new build and major refurbishment to 33 high schools;
• Primary Capital Programme - an ongoing programme of capital investment in the council's primary school estate; and
• Corporate Technical Services (CTS) - small works to high schools and primary schools.

Capital Programme Division manage a number of building contractors and design consultants using Framework Agreements to deliver individual projects to a client brief and budget.

During this process a number of sustainable themes are considered including:

• energy efficiency - the smallest carbon footprint for the available budget;
• promoting energy conservation by the building's occupants;
• provision of waste segregation facilities;
• green travel plans;
• selection of robust building material;
• flexible designs for community use; and
• maximising the use of local labour and materials.

Support and guidance is on hand to help you adjust in your new school and find ways of using your building that will help it become more sustainable.

A school's outdoor space is an important resource, and Manchester City Council provides advice and support to help the development of school grounds to support the health and well-being of pupils.

Services range from school ground audits, advice on gardening, specialist advice on biodiversity, support in looking for funding, and knowledge and contacts to develop your ideas.

For further advice and support contact an environmental education officer on 0161 234 3962 or 0161 274 6425.

Return to the main menu to learn about the other sustainable schools doorways.