The EVC Magazine Autumn/Winter 2024 - Magazine - Page 26
How educational visits can help shape school
climate action plans
CLIMATE FRIENDLY VISITS
Are you taking action to reduce the
carbon footprint of your educational
visits? School trips shouldn’t be
ignored when evaluating your
school’s
environmental
impact.
But have you considered how they
can help shape your wider school
approach to climate action?
With schools up and down the country looking to cut
carbon emissions and boost sustainability, educational
visits are one of the areas where you can make practical
changes to help meet your wider environmental
obligations.
The Department for Education has set a requirement
for all education settings to have a climate action
plan in place by 2025. You’ll need to outline the steps
you will take to address climate change, promote
sustainability and foster a sense of environmental
stewardship. Outdoor learning has an important role
in this, providing valuable opportunities for children to
connect and engage with the natural world.
What can schools learn from providers?
Many providers demonstrate good practice when it
comes to delivering on carbon reduction initiatives.
Consider what you could take back to school to help
with your own climate action plans.
One good example is the Field Studies Council.
Through its network of residential centres, it provides
opportunities for pupils to explore and study some of
the UK’s most awe-inspiring landscapes, deepening
their understanding of the natural world and the impact
of climate change on the environment.
The charity actively supports schools to be more
sustainable by highlighting a range of successful
initiatives to visiting teachers and students and providing
resources to help with climate action planning.
EDUCATIONAL VISITS – TAKE
ACTION FOR THE CLIMATE
Review your current visits – what
can you improve? Consider your
transport choices; materials and
equipment; recycling and waste; food
choices; community involvement;
promoting biodiversity.
Celebrate quick wins: make simple
changes like refillable water bottles,
or swapping paper letters for emails
straight away.
Choose providers and venues that
can demonstrate a commitment to
sustainability.
Use your visits as a springboard
for learning about environmental
issues such as responsible travel,
community engagement and
biodiversity.
See National Guidance 4.4p Visits and the Environment
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