Everybody’s Talking About Climate Change

Climate change is the most important sustainability issue of our time. This campaign aims to encourage as many schools as possible to participate and help tackle climate change.

You can do this by:

• Including climate change in your curriculum plans
• Registering your school in the campaign and working as a team to reduce your school's carbon footprint
• Taking steps together to achieve the Climate Heroes Award
• Running competitions in your school with free campaign prizes and cash awards – click on 'competitions & downloads' for full details

The campaign will develop over the coming months and encourage schools to participate by including climate change in curriculum plans from January onwards.
Over the next few months a team of people from the local authorities involved with schools and the campaign will be planning activities which can be carried out in schools across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Initial ideas for activities which can be carried out in schools using free new material from this website include:

• a climate change welcome pack of material for all schools taking part in the campaign.
• guidance on creating a climate change plan of action
• establishing a school climate change team, with a coordinator
• delivery of a climate change assembly
• doing a climate change audit
• making carbon reducing pledges
• free competition prizes to enable you to run your own school competitions
• links with other school activities, e.g. Every Child Matters, Eco Schools, Walk to School Week, Health Promoting Schools, Sustainable Schools, Forest Schools, etc

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Climate change, which is the most important sustainability issue of our time, can also be covered in schools through the Government’s proposed national framework for Sustainable Schools.

We would encourage you to find out more about the eight sustainability themes and pointers about how to achieve them by visiting: www.teachernet.go.uk/sustainableschools

 A list of websites for further of these links is given below and we encourage you to visit them to find out more about the connection between these initiatives and climate change.

Additionally, a comprehensive range of helpful teaching and lesson planning materials are available by clicking on the ‘resources’ button.

A campaign vehicle is touring around the two counties over the duration of the campaign. It may be in a location near to your school and you are welcome to bring some of your pupils, but please contact Susan Martin at Derbyshire County Council on 01629 580000 ext 6353 beforehand to let us know and allow us to plan accordingly. To find out where to vehicle will be, click here

The campaign will also be directed to other groups which include:

• local authorities staff, including teachers and other staff in
• Children and Younger Adults
• households
• schools
• community and voluntary groups
• large companies, including their staff

Other links include;

Sustainable Schools

The government has implemented a National Framework for Sustainable Schools.  The framework is a clear statement of expectations across eight sustainability themes, together with pointers on how to achieve them.  The doorways are: 1: Food and Drink 2: Energy and Water 3: Transport and traffic 4: Participation and waste 5: Buildings and grounds 6: Inclusion and Participation 7: Local Well-being 8: Global Dimensions
To find out more about Sustainable Schools visit 
www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools

Every Child Matters

Change for Children is a new approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19.
The Government's aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

To find out more:
 www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/

Eco Schools Programme

The Eco-Schools programme provides a simple framework to enable your school to analyse its operations and become more sustainable. By following the programme your school will become a more stimulating place in which to learn and you will reduce the environmental impact of the whole school on the community.
To find out more:
 www.eco-schools.org.uk/

Walk to School initiatives

'WoW' is a simple and flexible scheme which can greatly reduce the number of children who are driven to school regularly and increase the amount of physical activity children take in their every day lives. The scheme asks schools to pledge to be a ‘WoW School’. A ‘WoW School’ is one that agrees to promote walking to and from school as the preferred travel choice on a regular basis.
To find out more:
 www.walktoschool.org.uk/

Health Promoting Schools

The National Health Promoting Schools Website has information and resources to help schools take positive steps towards better health and well-being.
Schools in Scotland have been set the target of becoming a health promoting school by 2007. This involves a whole school approach to promoting the physical, social, spiritual, mental and emotional well-being of all pupils and staff.
To find out more:
www.healthpromotingschools.co.uk/

Forest Schools
Forest School encourages an appreciation of the natural world and builds self-esteem and confidence. This is achieved through regular visits to special woodland sites. Individuals can master tasks of increasing complexity and learn the associated social skills.
To find out more:
www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-5czhlp

Royal Geographical Society

The Royal Geographical Society, along with the Institute of British Geographers, has launched a new website for 11-18 year olds, Your Climate Life, linking to the geography curriculum.  It provides a wealth of resources for both teachers and students on climate change.
To find out more:
 www.yourclimateyourlife.org.uk

* The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Local Authorities Energy Partnership has a membership of all 20 local authorities in the two counties. It has existed for 10 years and is the largest and most long-lived sustainable energy partnership in the UK. The 'Everybody's Talking About Climate Change' is one of the Partnership’s projects