Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development

“I enjoyed being part of it, we are here to help the re-building of our school community and I feel very emotional about that. Just think that in the near future we will be the reason we have that particular school” (Eloise, 13 yrs, English Martyrs Catholic School )

The research project entitled “Engaging Pupils, Teachers and Govenors in the Science, Engineering and Technology of ‘Carbon Neutral’ Schools” has been nominated as the winner of the East Midlands region in the NEA and British Gas Footprint Award scheme 2010-11 in conjunction with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The Award scheme was developed to reward projects that demonstrate best practice in the field of fuel poverty and carbon savings.

IESD is leading the 3-year project surrounding the sustainable development of low-carbon schools. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) was a nationwide programme initiated by the previous government to rebuild or refurbish all secondary schools in England by 2016. Although the new coalition government has made cutbacks there are still a significant number of regions, including Leicester, in which the programme is still going ahead.

The aim to increase standards of education is coupled with the opportunity to greatly reduce energy use, by developing carbon neutral schools. Researchers are working with pupils, teachers and governors from the Leicester schools to increase their awareness surrounding sustainable development. Engagement activities include workshops facilitated by IESD researchers and experts in low-carbon building design, inspirational visits to existing low-carbon schools, and the use of thermal imaging to demonstrate, to pupils, the inefficiency of existing school buildings. During the activities the pupils develop videos, posters, podcasts and presentations to communicate issues of sustainable development to their school and surrounding community. A central output of the project is to provide the opportunity for pupils to have discussions with the designers, architects, decision makers and policy makers who are ultimately responsible for delivering their new schools. Professionals have been impressed at the informative and comprehensive discussions that pupils have been able to hold around these complex design ideas.

“When facilitating the engagement activities we are always impressed with how enthusiastic the pupils are about making sustainability a focal aspect of their new school design. Pupils readily understand and work with complex and advanced ideas such as ventilation and insulation strategies. The ideas that they come up with themselves are exciting and inspirational” (Dr Fiona Charnley, IESD)

“I found the work produced to be of an excellent and extremely high standard and very thought provoking which can only benefit the future evolution of the Leicester BSF programme and schools in general. Please offer my thanks and congratulations to the pupils and staff as they are a credit to their school” (Andrew Harris, Hulley and Kirkwood)

To date the project has successfully engaged with 10 schools and over 200 pupils. Initial results have show that the level of knowledge and understanding amongst pupils around issues of sustainable development and low-energy school design has significantly increased. Interestingly, following the engagement activities, the number of pupils who said they are interested in science and engineering and would consider it as a future career has risen from 57% to 71%.

Teacher Rob Manger of English Martyrs School in Leicester said: “All of the kids got a lot out of the activities and the people involved have provided a valuable basis for them to create informed decisions. Thank you for all of your expertise; I wouldn’t have known where to start!”

In addition to this project, De Montfort University is involved in several projects in collaboration with Leicester City Council to aid and advise in the development of a sustainable and low-carbon community. Through the transfer of knowledge and expertise surrounding low-carbon building design, IESD is assisting Leicester City Council in the ambition for all schools to be zero carbon by 2013 and to reduce Leicester’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2025.

Project nominated as the regional winner in the NEA Footprint Award 2010-11