Trudie Gorham, Sustainability Lead for Beaumont School, talks to us about her role as sustainability lead for her school.
This blog comes from our Sustainable St Albans Sustainable Schools Group. This group of local volunteers supports schools across St Albans district all year round with their advice, assemblies, website and newsletter. They also encourage schools to get involved in the annual SustFest Schools Week. They hold termly zoom networking meetings for eco school staff to discuss and share ideas. Click here to book your place on the next one on Monday 4th March at 4pm on zoom.
Becoming a Sustainability Lead
I have been involved in various sustainability-related things over the years at Beaumont, out of my own passion for it. However, when I was appointed lead officially in the summer term of 2023, it all suddenly felt very real, and professional! The post was for one year, so I felt there was an expectation to deliver and in my mind there was a lot to do!
School Sustainability Lead Top Tip
My absolute top tip for any new sustainability lead is this: It is a marathon, not a sprint!
Over the summer holidays, I fell down a rabbit hole – reading about schemes and projects and charities and incentives and grants, and government targets and finding out what other schools had done (growing their own food to be eaten in the canteen?!)
Ahhh! It all felt like an utterly impossible task. And yet it all felt so incredibly important I couldn’t justify NOT doing it all!
All School Sustainability Lead Actions have Impact
Then I realised I was also a teacher, and a parent, and an individual and this was essentially a job I needed to do in my spare time, and I had to be realistic. Yes, there is a lot to do, and yes it seems like if we don’t do it soon the planet will suffer, but everything we do, no matter how small, will have an impact.
So how did I take my first steps? I have set four main targets for this year, and most of them are to begin things that will roll over into the 2024/25 academic year. We can’t do it all at once. But making a start is so important. So that’s what we’ll do.
School Sustainability Leads Need Others
My second top tip? Surround yourself with like-minded enthusiastic passionate people. In our case, we have a sustainability committee of staff, educational support staff and trustees. I’m hoping to create a Parent Committee too.
Being linked in with other teachers in other schools is also important. I am part of the UK Schools Sustainability Network and, of course, linked in with Sustainable St Albans Schools Group which is all an enormous help.
With the support of others, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel all by yourself and together you can really make a difference.
Resources for schools
The Sustainable St Albans Schools Group webpages are here with lots of useful information
The next Sustainable St Albans Schools Group Networking meeting is Monday 4th March at 4pm on zoom. Click here to book your place or see our Schools home page for the next event.
Sustainable St Albans Climate Conversations Resources – great for staff sustainability groups or sixth formers
For further inspiration, why not listen to Sandringham School, St Albans excellent podcast, How Green is Your School?, which also contains some good tips for sustainability leads.
Have you joined Hertfordshire County Council’s Sustainability Leads Network ? And there are plenty of other things to join in with in the district – see our Schools Join Now page.
Sign up to the Sustainable St Albans Schools Newsletter
Are you a member of school staff, a governor or on a PTA? To know more about the work of the Sustainable Schools Group in St Albans District including SustFest Schools Week, please sign up to our newsletter using the form on our Schools page here. We send out termly information both about teaching materials and making your school more eco-friendly.
Sustainable Schools Group is here to help
If you are still in need of advice or support, Sustainable Schools will try to link you with an experienced school eco-rep in our District. Use the contact form on our main Sustainable Schools to reach out to us.