Climate Action on School Grounds
Click on the image below to view our new 'guide for developing school grounds'
➡️For more info on Climate and Sustainability in schools join the newsletter and visit the Essex Schools Infolink pages
Why enrich your school grounds? Increasing green areas offers multiple benefits including:
- Support wellbeing and positive mental health through a greater personal connection to nature. This can be done through the provision of small wild-flower meadows, pocket-forests, food forests, sensory planting – as well as bug houses/ bird boxes, even beekeeping!
- Provide tree shade for students during hot summers, increasingly important as our climate changes.
- Provide ‘alternative activities’ that benefit physical health whilst supporting engagement with outdoor ‘natural’ environments e.g. gardening and caring for nature, bushcraft and forest-school related activity, nature geo-cashing, etc
- Support connections between gardening, growing and understanding where food comes from, which in turn, supports healthy-eating agendas
Managing flood risk
If your school is in a high flood risk area, you may be eligible for support to improve flood resilience through development of your school ground. Check your Flood Risk here and contact environment@essex.gov.uk
Has your school previously been flooded? Are there areas where rainwater naturally flows and pools on your school grounds? If you are not in a high-risk area, there are measures you can take independently to minimise risk
Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) projects
Introduction of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) can help to reduce flood risk using natural flood management techniques to store and slow the flow of water, for example by removing concrete surfaces and planting more trees, introducing rain gardens, use of water butts, green roofs and sustainable drainage planters. Many interventions that reduce food risk can also help enrich nature. They can be designed specifically to incorporate natural educational features and encourage enhanced interactions and learning opportunity for students.
Other opportunities for schools
ECC’s climate resilient school grounds campaign earlier this year saw 15 schools awarded a delightful SuDS planter and infographic for the school building to help raise awareness of water management issues and how gardens can provide solutions. New offers to schools will be highlighted on these pages and promoted to schools via ECC registered Sustainability Leads. You can also email environment@essex.gov.uk to register your interest.
ECC currently covers half the cost of purchasing a new water butt, to help store excess rainwater or all Essex postcodes – including schools. To get 50% off - apply now on behalf of your school.
For more detailed information on nature and gardening please consult Section 6. Outdoor Space of the Schools Advice Pack pg. 44-45
Curriculum resources for schools
Essex Water Your Future is an interactive guide aimed at secondary and college students, designed to help them understand the water challenges facing Essex now and in the future as a result of our changing climate, and steps that can be taken to address them. A great resource for use in the geography and science curriculum, Essex Water Your Future brings theory to life through case studies and links to further resources that outline the challenges on our doorstep.
Contact floods@essex.gov.uk for more about the development of this tool and to suggest ideas for improvement and promotion across Essex schools