Building Momentum for Change

With all educational establishments advised to have Climate Action Plans (CAPs) in place by 2025, schools across the North are already taking impressive steps toward a more sustainable future. Through the Green Schools Revolution programme, we're seeing inspiring examples of student-led climate action taking shape.

Pioneering Climate Action in Our Schools

The enthusiasm for climate action across our Northern schools has been remarkable to witness. At St Mary's Catholic High School Leyland, students have taken a creative approach to their Climate Action Plan, developing it through a unique tree design where each leaf represents specific actions. During their #IWill week, students collaborated to transform their initial ideas into actionable steps, demonstrating true ownership of their environmental initiatives.

XP Gateshead's approach has been comprehensive and driven by a passionate Climate Action Group with representatives across year groups. Their journey exemplifies the power of student leadership in climate action. Through structured brainstorming sessions, students have developed creative initiatives and shown remarkable growth in confidence and problem-solving abilities. They've taken ownership of their CAP development, from initial concept to implementation strategies. What sets XP Gateshead apart is their commitment to whole-school engagement. Every student has participated in specialized workshops covering crucial areas: Biodiversity, Climate Education and Green Jobs, Decarbonisation, and Adaptation and Resilience. This inclusive approach has fostered a shared understanding of climate challenges and solutions throughout the school community. The Climate Action Group's ideas have directly shaped the school's formal CAP, ensuring student voices remain at the heart of their environmental initiatives.

In the North West, St John Fisher Catholic High School has started their sustainability journey, which is already generating excitement and innovative ideas. Students have proposed creative initiatives, including a recycling rewards scheme where they can trade in items like plastic bottles and cans for badges and other incentives. Their early engagement shows how schools at any stage can make meaningful contributions to this growing movement.

Hands-on Learning in Action

What's particularly exciting is seeing students engage directly with sustainability professionals. Both St Mary's and XP Gateshead have benefited from professional energy audits, giving students hands-on experience in understanding their school's environmental impact. At XP Gateshead, students had the unique opportunity to shadow an energy auditor and try out the technical equipment, gaining practical insights into how buildings can be made more energy-efficient.

Building Regional Connections

The September North East Climate Ambassador Conference marked a significant milestone in our journey. The event brought together schools from across the region and staff from major educational trusts, all united in their commitment to sustainability. Seeing so many educators and students come together, sharing ideas and building connections that will support future environmental initiatives was genuinely inspiring.

The conference highlighted individual school achievements and the potential for creating a robust network of environmentally conscious schools across our regions. The enthusiasm and collaboration witnessed at the conference demonstrate the growing appetite for meaningful climate action in our educational communities.

Looking Forward

As we continue to grow our network of partner schools across both the North West and North East, we're excited by the potential for even greater collaboration and innovation. The success stories shared by our schools so far illustrated how schools can meaningfully engage with climate action, whether they're just starting their journey or building on existing initiatives.

More Northern schools are needed!

We can work with more schools in the region! If you're interested in joining this growing movement of Northern schools taking climate action, contact us at caps@sos-uk.org or visit www.greenschoolsrevolution.org to learn more.

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