Practical School Waste Management Programme

Guidance on developing environmental education in the curriculum by getting people involved.

Headteachers and Governing Bodies can help by:

Identifying an individual or group of people to champion environmental education in the school;

Providing an opportunity to discuss environmental education and waste management in staff meetings and governing body meetings;

Encouraging whole school activities that have a recycling focus;.

Promoting the school's approach to its own environment including:

• Promoting care of school buildings and grounds;
• Promoting energy efficiency;
• Promoting recycling;
• Promoting conservation,
• Developing a purchasing policy.

Participating in recycling and waste management award schemes;

Supporting links with the local community, such as local community projects with Groundwork or the British Trust for Community Volunteers.

Environmental Education Coordinators or working group can help by:

1. Finding out what is the current level of education about recycling in school. Questions might include:

• How does the school currently encourage education about recycling?
• What does each curriculum area contribute to education about recycling?
• How is education about recycling managed and coordinated?
• To what extent is recycling in the school used as a context for learning?
• How does the school monitor its use of resources?
• To what extent is there consistency between what is taught and practiced?

2. Creating a policy on recycling either as a freestanding document or part of a wider curriculum statement on the environment. The policy may specify:

• The aims, value and purpose of education about recycling;
• The nature of pupil's entitlement;
• The way education about recycling is managed, implemented and evaluated;
• The nature and extent of external links;
• The way in which the school manages itself in a sustainable manner.

3. Adopting a wide range of approaches to implementing education about recycling.  This will include:

• Promoting support for the programme;
• Clarifying relationships with other areas of the curriculum;
• Clarifying staff roles and responsibilities;
• Securing physical and  financial resources for implementation
• Identifying staff development needs and organizing training;
• Assisting teachers in preparing schemes of work, developing materials and managing resources;
• Working with teachers to develop links, to avoid undue overlap and plan for progression;
• Contacting and working with national and local bodies that can support education about recycling.

4. Gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence to monitor and evaluate the quality of provision and its impact on pupils knowledge, understanding and commitment to recycling. Schools may wish to know the answers to a number of questions

• What have pupils gained from particular activities?
• has the programme affected pupil's attitudes to recycling resources?
• Do all pupils have access to education about recycling?
• Is the school making the best use of time and other resources?
• How well do pupils use and recycle resources provided in the school?