Beth McAllister

21 August 2024

Low Carbon Hub partners with Oxfordshire County Council to deliver Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools (ACES), an energy efficiency support service for schools.

In this guest blog, Councillor John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services talks about supporting climate action for schools to help them save energy as well as their work within the wider context of sustainability.

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“As someone who is passionate about climate action and sustainability, I have found myself in an influential position as Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services.

It’s meant I’ve been able to push a number of exciting initiatives to make schools more energy efficient and children more aware of the environment.

Young people are pivotal to success, because if they understand the world and develop attitudes and skills to live fulfilling lives as responsible citizens, then we make big strides towards safeguarding the planet for future generations. That’s why schools have a crucial role to play.

Environmental sustainability

I embrace environmental sustainability but of course I recognise that as a local authority, financial sustainability is vital too.

That is why partnership working and sharing information and ideas to attract sponsors are very important. Of course, where we are responsible for approving the building of new schools, we ensure they are built to net-zero standards, including, where practical, onsite energy regeneration.

I’m very proud that St John’s Academy in Grove has become our first carbon neutral school. Soon to be followed by one of the county’s secondary schools.

Oxfordshire County Council has already published a climate action framework, with the ambition of schools being able to deliver against their own targets, and to act as ambassadors in their communities. To support them, we are committed to ensuring that they have access to the educational materials needed to engage with pupils.

There are numerous exciting projects already underway or being planned that deliver real environmental benefits to schools and I hope these will act as templates for other local authorities:

I know that solar photovoltaic (PV) can be expensive and I am keen we help schools find lower cost alternative forms of renewable energy. ACES (Action on Carbon and Energy in Schools) is an energy efficiency support service to help schools in Oxfordshire carry out energy saving measures to cut carbon emissions, save money and make buildings more comfortable and healthier for users.

The programme is funded by Oxfordshire County Council and delivered by Oxford Brookes University and the Low Carbon Hub.

This offering, free to Oxfordshire County Council maintained schools, includes energy assessments highlighting the changes that will benefit school buildings, one to one support creating bespoke energy efficiency plans, access to webinars and workshops, and support to access funding.

Academies also have access to the ACES helpdesk and selected support measures.

A second round of interest free energy efficiency loans was launched earlier in the academic year to enable schools to finance the installation of things like LED lighting.

LED lighting makes classrooms brighter and pleasanter places to be for staff and students, so there are practical benefits as well as environmental. This funding has now all been allocated.

Like many other counties, we have some primary schools built in the Victorian era, so reducing heat loss in these older structures will remain a matter of concern and focus going forward. 

School streets and healthy eating

Sustainable travel to school in Oxfordshire is promoted in a number of ways, such as supporting schools to develop travel plans and implement actions identified within these.

School Streets – an active travel measure to encourage walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting to schools – is another key programme. Currently there are four schools with permanent school streets and a further five due to trial a school street in Oxfordshire.

Our healthy eating strategy means that where the council has a contract to cater (primary schools), the majority of meals offered are now meat-free, giving parents a choice of if and when meat is included in their child’s diet.

A healthy eating and physical exercise template policy is also being developed for schools to implement, which includes strategies supporting climate action.

Our policy team is looking to develop a holistic sustainability education programme for school children, and potentially a piece of work around embedding that into school curricula – this would include both the circular economy and biodiversity among many other important parts.

School governors and trustees

Starting from the top, with school governors and trustees, makes sense because they are responsible for the vision and ethos of schools, along with approving and monitoring school budgets.

If we can get buy-in at this level, along with their statutory role of holding senior leaders to account, then we would ensure that climate action is not lost from the agenda. It would link the school development plans and attached budget to sustainability and there would be monitoring at the highest level within schools.

Government

​The previous government’s strategy for schools on climate action supported a desire to promote sustainability. I very much hope the new government will continue to place the environment at the heart of its policies, and support those local authorities, like us, who are committed to making a real difference through schools and their pupils.

After all, today’s children inherit what we leave behind. We have a responsibility to help them understand how delicate the eco-structure is and encourage them to safeguard the planet for future generations.”