Agenda item

This report and its appendix showcase the current and future work taking place in Hammersmith and Fulham schools to support and promote climate education within the borough.

Georgina Herry (Lead Adviser for School Improvement, Children's services) presented Climate Education in H&F 2023 which included:

• Climate Education – Primary
• Summer in the City 2021/22 – Climate and Ecology Workshops
• The Thames Music Makers
• Climate Education – Secondary
• Climate Education Guide launching Summer 2023 – online resources
• The Pier – Climate Education and Wellbeing Centre – launching Autumn 2023 and project timeline

Councillor Jose Afonso expressed support to the Climate Education in H&F and looked forward to seeing more activities.

Councillor Ross Melton noticed that 32 and 7 primary and secondary schools respectively had been engaged under the H&F Climate Education and sought the percentages they represented.  Georgina Herry advised that it was more than 50% for secondary schools.  While some 19% of primary schools had been involved, the figure might change after the uncovered primary schools gained a better understanding through the Guide of the activities that could be done under Climate Education. Peter Haylock (Operational Director of Education and SEND) added that additional resources had been earmarked under the MTFS on promoting the Council’s manifesto and strategies linking to industries with a view to attracting more secondary schools. He noted that the secondary schools engaged, except one, were all academy which could have their own programmes running separately. In response to the concern of Councillor Stala Antonaides, Georgina said the H&F borough aimed at cosolidating work with the state primary schools before extending to the wider sector of the non-state schools.

On barriers preventing more school engagement as raised by Councillor Melton, Georgina Herry said that the community was still recovering from the pandemic with supporting pupils returning to schools, which might have taken time away from the schools’ leaders.  The audit conducted among schools could give a better understanding what should be done next, like promoting championship was a good way to ensuring start and seeing the benefits. To facilitate more engagements, activities could be held through the Climate Education network and case studies highlighting inspiring work that had been done.  Peter Haylock added that climate education remained strong in the science curriculum.  However, as there was a significant reduction in the provision for teaching assistants, this would reduce the chance of the children to get out of the schools to join the additional activities relevant to climate education.

As regards Councillor Laura Janes’ concern about evaluating the impacts of the programmes, Georgina Herry noted the need to demonstrate measurable outcomes within the governance process. She assured members that they were gathering participants’ feedback and evaluating impacts from schools’ case studies and would report back to this Committee in due course.

ACTION: Georgina Herry

Councillor Melton asked for the details about the Pier. Jan Parnell (School Improvement Consultant) noted that the premises of the Climate Education and Wellbeing Centre at the Pier was owned by Riverstone Living which had sublet it to the Learning Partnership of the Council for 6 years at a nominal rent for the use of about 15% of it mainly during the daytime of the week. Intergeneration programme with eco/climate focus would be developed to enable older and younger residents to learn separately as well as together. Jan then gave a detailed account on the range of activities that could be lined up there. She expected the Pier, being the first of its kind in the country, would attract some national attention.

Councillor Antonaides was pleased to note the building was re-used for a good purpose, and asked about resident engagement.  Georgina Herry highlighted that the School Improvement team worked closely with the Climate Unit and sat on the Advisory Board of the Climate Alliance, both of which were already receiving input from residents. They had also engaged with school staff who had work-related or personal interest in a climate background. Jan Parnell referred to a number of workshops which focused on parents and carers. She also introduced the new green career pathways from apprenticeship, engineering to environmental study which were specifically developed to support young people engaged in the process.

On Councillor Nicole Trehy’s question about ways to encourage schools to use the facilities at the Pier, Peter Haylock noted that different groups of children would be engaged through the free services provided at the Pier. Georgina Herry added that volunteer advisors with different expertises would give support on children’s participation. Jan Parnell supplemented that some members of the Advisory Committee were pioneer leaders at primary and secondary schools.  They had adopted a whole school approach to environmental education and become advocacy to their peers.  It was hoped that the tangible benefits would help raise some funds for young people’s education.

Regarding Councillor Trehy’s concern about the resources dedicated to the Pier, Peter Haylock advised that the business case of the Pier was being worked out, which shall include basic cost elements like salary etc and it might not necessary incur expenditure of the Council. He undertook to provide more information in this regard after the meeting. 

ACTION: Peter Haylock

In this connection, Councillor Melton asked whether the paid services would be targeted within or outside the borough.  Peter Haylock advised that under the industrial strategy, key business partners and schools would be linked together to explore the climate education agenda. It was hoped that free services could be provided for the schools, to be cross-subsidised through the participation of the businesses. Location wise, the business case would have to be looked at in its entirety, covering both the south as well as the north of the borough.

On staffing, Georgina Herry said that in addition to knowledge about climate education, colleagues in the Improvement Team were experienced in running centres.  The business case would focus on the programme implementation and marketing among the business partners. Jan Parnell added that the local school teachers and experts as well as national players were engaged to run some of the sessions with a view to raising funds through quality presentations. 

Questions from the floor:

Helen Dell (Climate Change Commissioner) expressed concern that apart from the impressive climate education programmes, how did the schools meet the challenges of reducing carbon footprints under the whole school approach.  For example, achieving carbon savings in the use of electricity and gas, and in the design of trips to schools by the wider community.  Jan Parnell referred to the case studies carried out by head teachers for schools which had taken the matter seriously.  They had  replaced the contractors after looking at the recycling, set up student eco-council which held the senior leadership team accountable to purchasing decisions.  Jan agreed that the whole school approach was a good way to strengthen climate education strategically, which might help incentivise cross-departmental collaborations, such as promoting energy efficiency among school buildings.     

Helen Dell asked how the mentioned groundwork could support the Council in its 2030 objectives and motivate schools to the mindset of carbon reduction. Georgina Herry remarked that the work done so far on climate education provided the groundwork, a foundation and stable base upon which other wider issues could be addressed. This would be through a joint approach with other departments  and a  forward plan.  She believed that some movements nationally would help strengthen their work in the same direction.

Caroline Kelly reiterated her concern about the military taking full control of the weather by 2025 and questioned the need for climate education.  In response, Councillor Melton stressed that under any circumstances, there was no dispute to the values in educating the young people and the community in environmental policy.  He said the borough was fortunate to be supported by qualified officers in respect of climate policy. He welcomed relevant information provided by members of the public.  On Caroline’s further question about the content of climate education, Peter Haylock highlighted the national curriculum which had covered different opinions and was adopted across the country.  It also covered behavioural changes relating to positive living and reduction of carbon footprints.

Anna Maynard referred to the planning permission for a new pier near the Fulham Reach Boat Club, which together with the Pier under discussion, would bring massive environmental impacts aggravating the climate emergency. Jan Parnell said that the Pier building already existed. Councillor Trehy noted that planning permission was given to the new pier open by the Fulham Reach Boat Club and it had not impacted the river.

RESOLVED

That the Committee noted and commented on the attached presentation.