Catch up with the latest in safeguarding for schools: best practice, thought leadership, and all the latest insights within single central record management.

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In 2019, Oxford Dictionaries declared ‘climate emergency’ the word of the year. And it’s no wonder. The #FridaysForFuture movement saw millions band together to strike against government inaction, leading to local jurisdictions across the globe declaring their own climate emergencies. In fact, almost all the councils in Britain have done so. 

Schools, too, have taken action. But only a handful of UK schools have declared climate emergencies. Plus, a debate still rages among school staff over allowing students to strike. So should all be in favour of responding strongly to the climate crisis, or should educational institutions carry on as normal?

The first country to force schools to teach about climate change was Italy. In December 2019, its education minister said sustainability and the climate would be “the centre of the education model”, requiring state schools to implement relevant lessons for 33 hours a year.

Climate change is a mandatory part of the UK curriculum. As Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said in a statement: it forms “part of the programmes of study in Key Stage 3 and 4 science and geography. Many schools will also discuss the issue in other forums, such as through assemblies and class projects.”

Despite this requirement, it’s difficult to form a clear picture of students’ climate knowledge. (Some schools may focus on the topic more than others.) What is clear, however, is some students’ frustration. Almost a year ago, four 15-year-old pupils from Oxford petitioned the education secretary to make climate change a core part of the national curriculum. “We’ve barely learned about the climate crisis at school,” they wrote. 92,000 people have supported their rallying cries.

A school’s responsibility is first and foremost to its pupils: preparing them for the outside world and equipping them with the tools to tackle any situation. The education system is not there to create panic, it’s true. But the science doesn’t lie. Climate change is real and future generations will bear the brunt. But they also have the power to make a difference.

Surely, the question isn’t: Should schools respond? It’s more a question of how. Firstly, take responsibility. The government seems unlikely to implement change, but there are 30,000 schools across the UK that can recognise their power and act. Acting, however, needn’t involve long periods of discussion. If the climate emergency is to be treated as such, it requires urgent attention and adjustments.

Changes to the curriculum are an obvious first step. “There is a strong argument for climate change to feature more prominently in the curriculum, not only in terms of studying its environmental impact, but also focusing on renewable energy and green technology,” Barton says. (Academies and independent schools have more free rein in this area. Schools that follow the national curriculum can push for reform via local authorities and teacher organisations.)

Schools should “be embedding Education for Sustainable Development into their curriculum — not as a standalone subject, but into each subject,” adds Rosie Saban, PR and policy officer for EAUC (the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education). “It has relevance to everything, and the only way to make progress towards emissions reduction is if there is far better education on the topic.”

Barton advocates a “comprehensive review” of the current curriculum “to ensure it is fit for the future.” But, as he explains, “this sort of adjustment could not be done in isolation.” Three-quarters of teachers felt they hadn’t been properly trained on the climate crisis, found a recent Oxfam-commissioned poll. And unconfident teachers are likely to lead to unsuccessful education. 

An online accreditation scheme, like EduCCate Global, can help teachers better understand the issues and learn how to teach them effectively. When it comes to lesson plan inspiration, organisations such as World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have numerous resources for pupils of all ages.

As well as making staff feel comfortable with a climate-focused curriculum, it is important for them to have an individual or group to turn to for support. Schools can consider using one of their Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) positions to appoint a climate change coordinator. (The United Nations is set to provide extra funding for this role, according to a National Education Union guide.)

Alternatively, a climate committee could be set up to discuss issues and formulate policies. This may involve not just school staff, but parents, students, members from the local community and other schools or colleges. Schools that are part of a multi-academy trust luckily already have this support network.

Students also need to feel engaged and empowered. Lively debates and discussions can help, but allowing pupils to lead can be even more effective. Let them form an eco council, organise a march, or even declare a school climate emergency. (Here’s a how-to for the latter option.) Again, organisations exist to help young people create planetary change; Eco Schools, Bright Green Future and the Foundation for Environmental Education are just three.

Last but certainly not least, schools need to examine their personal environmental footprint. Schools are responsible for around 2% of UK greenhouse gas emissions; simple changes can reduce that figure. For example, examine how to make your buildings and facilities net zero, says Saban, and track your school’s emissions.

Involving students in this area is yet another way of preparing them for the future. Encourage their participation in discussions surrounding energy usage, waste reduction and the design of new buildings, and utilise programmes such as Less CO2 to pave the way to a more sustainable educational environment.

All of the above may sound like a great degree of work. In reality, the climate crisis is a chance to avoid stagnation; to give both teachers and students a greater sense of purpose and a combined goal. Set the foundations and the rewards are bound to follow.

Should schools respond to the climate crisis, and if so, how?

As finalists in the "Leadership and Management Solutions" category this year, we at SCR Tracker were so excited to be attending the Bett Awards 2020. 

We arrived and were greeted upon arrival with a glass of champagne, and began to mingle with the other guests. Some had been nominated consecutively year after year, and others were first timers like us. It was great to hear from guests who had travelled far for the evening, and to hear from people who had attended this year's popular Bett Show earlier the same day.

During the dinner we were entertained by comedian Sally Phillips, and enjoyed meeting new acquaintances on our table.  We ate good food and heard about each other's experiences within the education sector, ranging from the challenges of working for a £30bn company to those working for a young startup based up North.

The Awards Ceremony began and the Impact Award was up first. One of the shortlisted organisations was nominated for, amongst other things, using digital technology to improve their safeguarding, and they use our single central record software to do this! We waited with bated breath. 

And the winner is.... Northern Education Trust! We were beyond excited and cheered loudly. It's great to see our clients recognised for their hard work, and we are proud to be working with each and every one of our amazing organisations to help them improve their safeguarding practices.

The time came for our category 'Leadership and Management Solutions', where we learned that SCR Tracker had been awarded 'Highly Commended' by the Bett Show Judges! We were ecstatic! To be up against so many incredible finalists (most much larger than ourselves!), we were so thrilled to be recognised for our brilliant software.

The Bett Awards Judges commented that SCR Tracker "demonstrated an entrepreneurial approach, they spotted an opportunity and created a solution which helps schools to fulfil their legal obligation in their core function of safeguarding young people."

Thank you to the Bett Awards for a wonderful evening and start to 2020 – we are very excited for the Bett Show and Awards next year!

SCR Tracker wins Highly Commended Award at Bett Awards 2020

With the UK's exit from the EU looming on the horizon, what do schools need to know about current staff members and hiring new starters?

The team at SCR Tracker has pulled together the important parts of the latest news from the Department for Education, to help you keep your single central record compliant.

Firstly, you must start by addressing your current staff members who could be affected. If they are EU, EEA or Swiss citizens, they will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. This scheme will allow them to maintain their residency in the UK after 2020.

The temporary leave to remain scheme applies if the individual arrives in the UK after the UK leaves the EU and before 1 January 2021. The deadline for applications is 31 December 2020.

Remember that it is the responsibility of the individual to apply to these schemes, not you as the employer. There is no requirement for the staff member to inform you, as their employer, that they have applied, or what the status of their application is.

You are not required to check that an employee has applied. Next, you'll need to address new staff members arriving in the UK after Brexit.

Current ‘right to work’ checks apply until the end of 2020. EU citizens may also prove their right to work using the DfE's online service, if they choose to.

There will be no official change to the rights or status of EU citizens living in the UK until 30th of June 2021. In the event of a no deal, however, the deadline would be the 31st of December 2020.

As the employer, you will not be required to carry out retrospective checks on existing EU employees after the UK transitions to the future skills-based immigration system.

Irish citizens’ right to live in the UK will not change when the UK leaves the EU. Irish citizens do not need to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme, but their family members, who are not Irish or British citizens, do need to.

European professional qualifications checks

Teachers with EU, EEA or Swiss teaching qualifications that have qualified teacher status (QTS) will continue to hold QTS.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, teachers that have applied for QTS before the exit date will be able to continue their application under the previous system.

With a deal in place, a new system will apply teachers who haven't begun the process to still apply for QTS.

EEA teacher sanctions and restrictions checks

With a no-deal Brexit, EEA professional regulating authorities will no longer be required to automatically share details of any sanction or restriction imposed on teachers with the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

The TRA will therefore no longer automatically receive, or maintain, details of teachers who have been sanctioned, post exit, in EEA member states.

Schools must continue to carry out the same safer recruitment checks for applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK as they currently do for all other staff.

Furthermore, schools must continue to make any further checks they think appropriate in order to consider any relevant events that occurred outside the UK. Schools will be able to apply in the same ways as they currently do when employing an applicant from the rest of the world.

If the UK leaves with a deal, the existing system for checking EEA sanctions will remain in place until at least 31 December 2020.

Finally, you'll have to check the levels of security around the personal data you're keeping.

Identify where you receive data from, determine who the data controllers and processors are, and where the data is stored.

Contact education management providers that you share personal data with within the EEA.

You may still share personal data lawfully with them once the UK leaves the EU.

With regards to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it will be incorporated into UK law if there’s a no-deal Brexit. This and the Data Protection Act 2018 will therefore continue to apply to data transferred within or from the UK.

If you have a contract with SCR Tracker, know that your data is safely secured on servers in London so there is no need to worry about data transfer laws with us as your software providers. All of our data is encrypted to the highest of levels, so you can rest easy knowing your data is with us.

The above information was sourced from the latest guidance from https://www.gov.uk and is up to date as of the 4th of October 2019.

Have any questions? Contact the team here.