The HMC Sustainability Hub is a collection of stories and resources that will hopefully inspire and enlighten schools on their sustainability journeys.
This page contains brief anecdotes from HMC schools about some of the recent steps to sustainability that they have already taken, and how they are raising awareness of environmental sustainability within their schools and local communities.
Numerous resources have also been offered by staff in HMC schools that we hope will spark ideas and inform further research, as will our collection of blogs and case studies that can all be found below and in News & Views, here.
There is no Planet B: how Channing School is making a difference in North London
Case study by Channing School
Channing School’s commitment to sustainability amidst the global climate crisis is admirable. Despite challenges, the school has achieved the prestigious Green Flag Award (with distinction) and supports initiatives like Just One Tree, with over 2,000 trees planted. Students play a central role, with Eco Reps leading assemblies and activities on climate change, fast fashion, and deforestation. New policies, like flight offsetting and PSHE lessons on environmental issues, aim to embed sustainability across the school. Collaborating with networks like the London Schools Environmental Network and hosting events like Mock Cop foster collective action. The school emphasizes that achieving sustainability requires the involvement of the entire community and persistence, even in the face of setbacks.
Uppingham School Sustainability Week Journal
Uppingham School is driving sustainability through practical initiatives and student engagement, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Efforts include energy-efficient upgrades, improved waste management systems, and recycling programs. Students actively participate in projects like the Arboretum Team, which focuses on land management and conservation, and community gardening programs that support food security and reduce waste through partnerships like Rutland Fridge. Collaborations with environmental organizations enable pupils to engage in biodiversity research, habitat restoration, and watercourse preservation. These initiatives not only lower the school’s environmental impact but also empower students to lead in sustainability and advocate for a greener future.
See the school’s Sustainability Week Journal, showcasing Uppingham School’s comprehensive efforts to address environmental challenges and foster a culture of sustainability within its community.
Young Londoners are driving sustainability efforts through the newly launched Youth Natural Environment Board (YNEB), which convened for the first time on November 8 2024 at Hampstead Heath. The initiative, established by the City of London Corporation, empowers students and alumni from its Family of Schools, including City of London Freemen’s School and City of London School for Girls, to influence environmental policies, develop leadership skills, and advocate for sustainability. The Corporation, which governs the Square Mile and oversees over 11,000 acres of open spaces across London and southeast England, is integrating the YNEB into its broader Natural Environment Board to present innovative solutions. Collaborations include a youth-led curriculum with the University of Surrey and global campaigns with the Royal Commonwealth Society and St Mary’s University to address climate change and marine pollution. Advocates emphasize the critical role of young people in shaping a greener future, fostering creativity and resilience to combat environmental challenges.
Nature’s Classroom: Cultivating Curiosity, Conservation, and Connection at Guildford High School – Case study from Guildford High School
Guildford High School has embedded sustainability into its ethos and curriculum, integrating a Year 9 Natural History course that explores biodiversity, conservation, and human impact on the environment. The school promotes environmental awareness across all age groups through enrichment talks, PSHE topics, and hands-on initiatives led by the Green Team, such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and biodiversity enhancement. Notable projects include planting over 800 trees, maintaining a school allotment with gardening clubs, and collaborating with Surrey Wildlife Trust. The school also hosts sustainability campaigns like “Fast-Fashion Free February,” which encourages clothing swaps and won the Eco Schools Innovation Award in 2022. These efforts aim to empower students to take action, live sustainably, and become responsible global citizens.
Environmental Sustainability at Highgate School:
Since the publication of Highgate School’s Environmental Sustainability Initial Strategy Plan in 2020, they have been working hard on their environmental performance in a range of areas. Recent successes include the establishment of a wildlife club for Key Stage 3 pupils and the hosting of a Mock COP event to parallel the COP conference.
Behind the scenes, the school has been working on trips and food—both areas where cuts in carbon emissions can be made. This work has been informed by a detailed survey of Highgate staff on their thoughts and feelings about the environment, and has also been feeding into improved environmental training for staff. June 2024 saw Highgate School hosting the third London Schools Eco Network CPD day for environmental educators across the capital.
Haileybury Youth Trust training refugees in Uganda to be the next generation of climate-friendly builders
Case Study by Russell Matcham, Director, Haileybury Youth Trust
Haileybury Youth Trust has both a unique history and a host of unique ways to simultaneously tackle climate change and provide education, training and support to refugee communities. This new case study describes some of the positive impacts recent projects have had in Uganda and for climate change, as well as explaining how pupils back at Haileybury benefit from the projects too.
Learn more about their work here.
Working hard to be the greenest school in Bath
Case Study from King Edward’s School, Bath
King Edward’s School, Bath are working hard to be ‘the greenest school in Bath’, with pupils taking a leading role and working closely with members of staff to create a more sustainable approach to food procurement and waste, as well as their energy and transport commitments.
Now, KES seeks to establish an ambitious and all-encompassing plan for the future that involves the entire school community.
As a member of the KES Sustainability Committee, said:
“This is only the beginning: the KES Green Evolution has begun!”
Learn more in the blog, here.
A Meating of the Minds: Gaining whole school consensus to reduce carbon footprint through catering
Blog by Oliver Staines, Head of Geography & Sustainability Coordinator, Leighton Park School
Catering at Leighton Park is excellent. Some children are registered for places at least in part due to ‘scrumptious brownies’. But there’s a problem. Catering accounts for up to 60% of CO2 emissions.
To coincide with the COP conference, the school has tried something new to begin tackling the issue. They focused on the emotive and polarising issue of steak, with a campaign entitled ‘A Meating of the Minds’.
Further details about the campaign, including full lesson resources, can be found in the blog, here.
Swap Don’t Shop: creative ways children can be involved in cutting their own carbon emissions
Blog by Lynne Farrand, Prep Eco-Lead, Manchester High School for Girls
The pupil-led Eco Council & Roots & Shoots Club at Manchester High School for Girls have a wealth of ideas and initiatives to promote sustainability in school. Their clothes, Christmas jumper and toy swaps have proved particularly popular and successful, and the girls are both aware and proud of the fact that their initiatives are creating positive ripples of enthusiasm for sustainability action throughout their entire school community.
Find out more here.
The Manchester Grammar School:
Sustainable power at school and away
Manchester Grammar School has an active student council who are closely involved in many of the school’s efforts to improve their environmental sustainability. Following the student council’s increased awareness around the environmental impact of transport, Manchester Grammar School is delighted to be working with Swans Travel to provide a battery-electric operated home-to-school coach service. The zero-emission coach will be used by pupils who travel to school from a wide area across the north of England, as well as for other members of the community during school holidays and at weekends.
The school’s Estates Department have also been busy installing their first solar system on the roof of the sports hall, alongside other measures to help the school reduce their carbon footprint: installing cavity wall insulation, further roof insulation and the expansion of LED lighting throughout the whole school site. There are now 210 solar panels on the Michael Atherton Sports Hall, which has an estimated annual energy generation of nearly 70,000 kWh.
Growing Green: Pocklington School’s Sustainability Initiatives
Case Study by Pocklington School
At Pocklington School they have introduced various sustainability topics and eco-issues into the curriculum – both indoors and outdoors, and throughout their extra-curricular provision too. From cross-curricular projects spanning ICT, art and geography to a student-led eco-committee, they’re proud of the progress they’re making. They’re also pleased to be implementing some of the environmental changes they’re teaching and the fact that they can evidence the positive impact the work is having on their students past and present.
Find out more, here.
Setting Sail for a Greener Horizon: Navigating the Seas of Sustainable Sailing at RHS
Blog by Ed Sibson, Director of Sailing, Royal Hospital School
As a school with a world leading Sailing Academy, the Royal Hospital School is hugely aware that they are adding to landfill with sails, clothing and equipment that has reached the end of its life. For some time they have been looking for ways to reduce the levels of sailing related waste ending up in landfill, so are now excited to be involved in a collaboration with start-up company Sustainable Sailing and the Illusion Keelboat class to create a unique and innovative recycling scheme that will allow old sails to be made new again.
Learn more in the blog, here.
Wellington School:
One Planet. One Life. One Cup.
In order to reduce their impact on the environment, Wellington School and their catering supplier, Thomas Franks, have worked with Event Cup Solutions to introduce the pioneering site-wide sustainability initiative, the ONE Planet ONE Chance Reusable Cup System.
Across the campus there are designated collection points to dispose of cups, which are then collected, washed and reused in the café. A short video, produced by the student-led Eco-committee is now being used to promote the initiative throughout their community: One Cup System
“We are excited to be pioneering the new ONE Planet ONE Chance Reusable Cup System for our café – the first school in the UK to do so! The cups will have more than 300 uses, are insulated – keep hot drinks warm, yet cool to touch on the outside and are entirely reusable & recyclable. – Win, win! ”
Student-led Eco-committee, Wellington School
Tanglin Trust School – Making an Impact, Taking the Lead
Blog by Carla Randall, Assistant Head of Year 12, Tanglin Trust School
Sustainability is a key focus at Tanglin Trust School and there has been a renewed energy and focus since it was made a whole school priority. Guided by their core values and in recognition of ecological threats. they are strongly committed to reducing their impact on the environment and empowering students to rise to the challenges ahead.
From student-led action groups, Planet Protectors and Global Guardians, and taking part in School Green Awards, to working with large businesses such as Shell and the National Environment Agency, they have made good progress.
Find out more, here.
Bristol Education Partnership: inspiring our community towards Net Zero
Blog by Fiona Carnie, Project Lead, Bristol Education Partnership
The fourteen secondary schools within the Bristol Education Partnership (BEP) – including 6 members of HMC – are working hard to tackle the climate emergency and are exploring ways of reaching the target of net zero carbon emissions at the earliest opportunity.
The BEP Climate Challenge Project includes:
- Climate Challenge conferences to report on progress and share ideas.
- Looking at how to incorporate Climate Change Education across the Curriculum.
- Careers and Sustainability events.
- Supporting schools to introduce more locally produced, sustainably farmed, seasonal and nutritious food to benefit whole school communities as well as local businesses.
Further details of which can be found in the blog, here.
Resources for Schools
Below is a collection of resources based on the places colleagues in HMC schools have told us they’ve searched and found ideas and helpful information throughout their sustainability journeys.
Supporting Independent Schools on the Road to Net Zero & Sustainability White Paper
The Climate Book
Eco-Schools
Future We Want
Geographical Association
Gov.uk
Green Schools Project
Let’s Go Zero
London Schools Pollution helpdesk
National Association for Environmental Education (NAEE)
The Royal Meteorological Society
SEEd Sustainability and Environmental Education
UK School Sustainability Network
UNESCO report: World heritage glaciers: sentinels of climate change
The Woodland Trust
Thank you to all HMC schools who have contributed to this Sustainability Hub. Although it’s not possible to showcase every initiative from every school, we understand that tackling climate change and improving environmental sustainability for the future is a key priority for many, if not all HMC schools.
Please contact [email protected] if your school would like to make a contribution to this page. Case studies from schools and blogs from school staff and students are welcome and will be considered for inclusion.
