The Schools Climate Action Planner has launched this autumn – it's an online tool to give schools a tailored plan and practical steps to take on their climate journey.

Teachers Kathleen Hughes from Gorse Hall School, and Hatim Kapacee from Heald Place Primary tested the Schools Climate Action Planner. Jodie from the Transform Our World team asked them about their experience of using it.  

Jodie from Transform Our World (TOW): Good afternoon, Kathleen, Zoe and Hatim! Thank you so much for agreeing to review the Schools Climate Action Planner. It’s great to get a chance to speak to teachers who will be the ones actually using the tool, to see how you got on trialling it out.

First of all, what did you like best about the tool?

Hatim- The tool was easy to navigate and easy to get back to as well. The layout and font is very good - it makes it an easy read.

Kathleen- It’s good because it steers you in a particular direction, the way you can identify and go through certain actions is great. The functionality is really really good.

Zoe- (The tool is) really varied, whether you have a budget or not - and even if you don't have support from SLT, there are things that individual class teachers can get their teeth into. There are lots of different options and ideas, both large and small scale...

Jodie from TOW: The tool prioritises actions based on some answers you give at the start. How did you find this process?

Kathleen- The initial questions were short, bite-sized and not too overwhelming. Once you have completed one action you can move onto the next one. It was fun - almost like going to a supermarket and picking up different actions, the children really enjoyed it!

Hatim- What I liked is you gave some more detail to the action and then it lets you know what the impact could be. You are not actually having to re-invent the wheel, you have got some great ideas there on the tool that you can really develop.

Zoe- The questions were really straightforward – there’s a very fine line sometimes between getting the information you need and doing it quickly without it being a massive issue, and I think the tool did it really well.

Jodie from TOW: What did you think of your suggested actions?

Hatim- The level of detail in the content of the tool is not overwhelming and gives you the background subject knowledge, and if colleagues want to do a deeper search they can do. It’s a starting point and sets you off on the right track. In the past there was an eco-champion where lots of work fell on one person, but with this tool this can fall on any member of staff and this tool with all of the background knowledge makes it much easier.

Zoe- It was really useful being able to get some more information on the more complicated actions like rain gardens, it was good to be able to drop down the action and go into more details - like now I’ve got a name of someone to contact.

Jodie from TOW: After having used the tool, what has your school done to start implementing these actions?

Hatim- As a result of playing around with the tool I had a number of meetings with our Schools Business manager about practises and third-party providers like catering practices. It has opened up a dialogue.

Zoe- I have already managed to get our Business Manager on board and being able to show how our decisions are saving us money is key to improving the profile of Climate Change Awareness in our school. The impact of COVID has massively impacted on our budget, so it's great to be able to make a difference without having to ask for more money - yet!

Jodie from TOW: Do you have any final comments on the tool?

Zoe- The Schools Climate Action Planner is a great way for both individuals and schools to address their own climate impact. It is easy to use and full of great ideas for where to go next. The scale allows you to feel that you are making progress and the range of activities is ideal for small and large organisations alike. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Hatim- It saves time and contributes to staff wellbeing as well, it’s a really important piece of work.

Kathleen- It’s really hard to critique- you’ve thought of everything!

Jodie from TOW: Wow, what great feedback! It’s been really interesting to hear from your perspective, what you thought of the tool. We’re really pleased you’re finding it easy to use and that all the content is comprehensive and relevant.

Schools can access the Schools Climate Action Planner on Transform Our World and follow the steps to create their tailored plan and follow their own suggested actions.

Watch Jodie explain how to use it in this short video: