Carrying out an environmental review

What is an Environmental Review?

An Environmental Review (or audit) is designed to give a realistic picture of your centres current environmental performance. It should tell you what you are doing well and what you might need to work on. The Environmental Review informs your action plan, helping your centre to decide whether change is necessary and how urgently the changes are required.

For early years it is expected that the adults will carry out the Environmental Review and include the children in the process. Why not take the children with you as you walk around the building and complete the review with their input. The children could count if any lights are left switched on or any taps dripping. At Bronze level, a centre can compose and carry out its own assessment and the results do not have to be recorded. This type of Review is described as an informal review.

At Silver and Green Flag level a formal Review must be completed. This can be designed by the centre but the results must be documented. If a centre does not want to design its own formal Review, a number of organisations offer a ready-to-use Environmental Review that can be completed online or in hard copy. The Eco-Schools programme provides two examples of an Environmental Review form within the Links and Resources section of this website.

What should the Environmental Review cover?

The Environmental Review should be designed and carried out by the pupils themselves. It should cover: litter; waste minimisation and recycling; energy; school grounds/biodiversity; water use; pupil activities; healthy living; transport; global perspective.

An Environmental Review could include a series of simple questions. Simple yes/no answers to each question may provide sufficient information but you may wish to use the Environmental Review to gain a greater understanding of the issues facing the school or include recommendations for action.

Questions to include in your Environmental Review may include:

• Is the centre litter free?
• Does the centre recycle cans, paper, computer cartridges, etc?
• Does the school use recycled paper in disposable materials such as paper towels?
• Are lights left on unnecessarily? Are there draughts around windows and doors? Are windows left open whilst the heating is on?
• Does the centre avoid the use of aerosols in art lessons or by domestic staff?
• Does the centre encourage walking to school?
• Do centre toilets have water-saving devices fitted?
• Are environmental issues discussed in class with the children?

Whether you are devising your own Environmental Review or using an off-the peg form, we would encourage you to link this activity into Curriculum Planning.

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