Climate Action Plan

Summary

The Keep Learning Trust is committed to ensuring that sustainability and environmental responsibility become embedded within the strategic and operational leadership of the Trust. As a growing family of schools, we recognise the important role education plays in shaping future generations and the responsibility we have to reduce our environmental impact across our estates, operations, and decision-making.

Our Climate Action Plan provides a framework for coordinated action across the Trust. It sets out our priorities for reducing carbon emissions, improving resource efficiency, enhancing biodiversity, promoting sustainable behaviours,and ensuring climate awareness is reflected within the educational experiences of our pupils.

The plan is intended to be practical, achievable, and responsive to the needs of our schools and communities. It recognises the varying contexts of our individual school sites while establishing a shared Trust-wide commitment to sustainable improvement. Through incremental change, strategic investment, and collective responsibility, the Trust aims to contribute positively to national sustainability ambitions while creating healthier, more efficient, and more resilient learning environments.

Our Climate Commitment

The Trust is committed to acting responsibly and proactively in reducing its environmental impact while promoting a culture of sustainability throughout its schools and communities.

Our commitment is based upon the principle that environmental sustainability should be integrated into everyday decision-making rather than viewed as a standalone initiative. We will seek to ensure that sustainability considerations inform strategic planning, estate management, procurement activity, curriculum development, and operational practice across the organisation.

We recognise that meaningful progress will require collaboration between trustees, leaders, staff, pupils, parents, and external partners. By working collectively, we aim to foster a culture in which sustainable behaviours become embedded within the daily life of each school.

The Trust is committed to:

· Reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions

· Improving the environmental performance of our buildings and operations

· Encouraging sustainable behaviours across our school communities

· Supporting biodiversity and outdoor learning opportunities

· Embedding climate awareness within education and pupil leadership

· Reviewing progress regularly and adapting our approach over time B

Sustainability Leads

Overarching Lead for The Keep Learning Trust – Mrs Lesley Taylor

Elton Primary School – Mrs Caroline Ashworth

Greenmount Primary School – Mr David Griffith

Old Hall Primary School – Mrs Nicola Carlile

Park View Primary School – Mrs Emma Collopy

Radcliffe Primary School – Mrs Alyson Walsh

Estates & Energy

The Trust recognises that school buildings and estate operations contribute significantly to overall environmental impact. Improving the efficiency and sustainability of our estates will therefore be a key priority over the coming years.

We will seek to reduce energy consumption through improved monitoring, planned maintenance, and targeted investment in energy-efficient infrastructure. Opportunities to improve insulation, heating systems, lighting, and building controls will be explored as part of ongoing estate management and capital planning.

The Trust will also consider longer-term opportunities to adopt renewable technologies where financially and operationally viable. Energy efficiency improvements will not only reduce environmental impact but also support financial sustainability by helping to manage rising utility costs.

Measures to Decarbonise

· Solar Panels Installed where feasible

· LED lighting installed

· Replacement of ageing roofs which promotes heat retention/lowers energy usage

· Replacement of ageing boilers and heating systems with more energy efficient ones to lower energy usage.

Alongside infrastructure improvements, staff and pupils will be encouraged to adopt energy-conscious behaviours to support collective responsibility for resource use.

Waste & Resource Management

The Trust is committed to reducing waste and promoting responsible use of resources across all schools and operational functions.

Schools generate significant volumes of paper, packaging, food waste, and consumable materials. Through improved recycling systems, waste reduction initiatives, and increased awareness, the Trust aims to reduce unnecessary waste and improve environmental performance.

Where possible, schools will seek to reduce reliance on single-use materials and encourage reuse and recycling practices amongst pupils and staff. Digital systems and processes will continue to be developed to minimise paper consumption and improve efficiency.

The Trust will also work with suppliers and service providers to encourage more sustainable approaches to packaging, waste collection, and resource management.

· No single use water bottles to be sold or the amount reduced at events

· Food waste bins for school caterers across all sites

· More recycling bins throughout our schools

· Installation of water fountains across our schools

Sustainable Procurement

Procurement decisions play an important role in shaping the environmental impact of the Trust’s operations. The Trust is committed to ensuring that sustainability considerations increasingly inform purchasing decisions and supplier relationships.

While value for money will remain essential, procurement activity will seek to balance cost, quality, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability. Consideration will be given to factors such as ethical sourcing, product lifespan, recyclability, energy efficiency, and supplier sustainability practices.

The Trust will also seek opportunities to work with local suppliers and contractors where appropriate, helping to reduce transport impacts and support local economies.

By embedding sustainability within procurement processes, the Trust aims to influence positive environmental outcomes beyond its immediate operations.

Travel & Transport

Travel and transport contribute to the Trust’s overall carbon footprint through staff commuting, school journeys, educational visits, and operational travel between sites.

The Trust will seek to encourage more sustainable travel choices wherever practical. This may include promoting walking, cycling, car sharing, and the use of public transport, alongside reviewing opportunities to reduce unnecessary travel through the use of digital meetings and collaborative working practices.

Schools will also continue to support initiatives that promote active travel amongst pupils and families, recognising the wider health and well being benefits associated with reduced vehicle use.

While the Trust acknowledges that travel requirements vary significantly across communities and individual circumstances, increased awareness and small behavioural changes can contribute positively to overall sustainability objectives.

· Suitable and Secure bike storage facilities for staff and pupils

· Plans to install electric vehicle leasing points installed at each site where feasible.

· Implement the cycle/equipment salary sacrifice scheme

Curriculum & Pupil Leadership

As educational organisations, our schools have an important responsibility to develop pupils’ understanding of environmental issues and encourage positive attitudes towards sustainability.

Climate education and environmental awareness will be supported through curriculum opportunities, enrichment activities, outdoor learning, and pupil leadership initiatives. The Trust recognises the value of empowering children to become active participants in environmental improvement within their schools and wider communities.

Schools will continue to support initiatives such as eco councils, gardening projects, recycling campaigns, biodiversity activities, and community partnerships that encourage pupil engagement and leadership.

Through education and participation, we aim to develop environmentally aware pupils who understand the importance of sustainability, stewardship, and responsible citizenship.

Biodiversity & Outdoor Spaces

The Trust recognises the importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity across school sites and outdoor environments.

Our schools provide valuable opportunities for children to engage with nature, develop environmental awareness, and benefit from outdoor learning experiences. Where possible, the Trust will seek to improve green spaces through planting schemes, habitat development, and biodiversity-focused initiatives.

Schools may explore opportunities such as

· Tree planting

· Pollinator-friendly areas

· Bird Feeders

· Vegetable, herb gardens

· Outdoor classrooms

· Bug Hotels

Improving outdoor environments can contribute positively to education, mental health, biodiversity, and community engagement while helping pupils develop a stronger connection with the natural world.

Governance & Accountability

Strong governance and clear accountability will be essential to the successful implementation of this Climate Action Plan.

The Trust Board and relevant committees will provide strategic oversight of sustainability priorities and monitor progress against agreed objectives. Senior leaders will be responsible for ensuring that sustainability considerations are reflected within operational planning and decision-making processes.

Implementation of the plan will require collaboration across multiple areas of the organisation, including school leadership teams, curriculum leaders, operational teams, and pupils themselves.

Progress against the plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure actions remain achievable, measurable, and aligned with both organisational priorities and national developments.

Targets & Measures

The Trust recognises that meaningful environmental improvement requires measurable action and ongoing evaluation. As part of this plan, baseline information will continue to be developed in order to better understand the Trust’s environmental impact and identify priority areas for improvement.

Targets will initially focus on achievable and practical improvements, recognising that sustainability is a long-term process requiring gradual development and investment over time.

Measures may include:

· Reductions in energy consumption

· Improvements in recycling rates

· Increased participation in sustainability initiatives

· Reduction in paper usage

· Increased biodiversity activity across school sites

· Staff and pupil engagement measures

The Trust will review targets periodically to ensure they remain realistic, relevant, and appropriately

Risks & Challenges

The Trust acknowledges that there are a number of challenges associated with implementing sustainability improvements within an educational setting.

Financial pressures, ageing estate infrastructure, competing operational priorities, and varying site conditions may impact the pace at which changes can be implemented. In addition, accurate environmental data and benchmarking processes will continue to develop over time.

Behavioural change also represents an important factor in achieving long-term success. Creating a sustainable culture requires ongoing engagement, communication, and shared responsibility across all levels of the organisation.

Despite these challenges, the Trust believes that incremental and well-planned improvements can deliver meaningful environmental, educational, and financial benefits over time.

Implementation Plan

This Climate Action Plan will be implemented through a phased and proportionate approach that reflects the operational realities of the Trust and its schools.

Initial activity will focus on establishing baselines, identifying quick wins, improving awareness, and embedding sustainability within planning and decision-making processes. Medium-term priorities will include targeted estate improvements, enhanced curriculum integration, and stronger environmental reporting.

Longer-term ambitions may include larger-scale capital investment projects, renewable energy opportunities, and broader organisational culture change.

The Trust will seek to align sustainability activity with existing school improvement priorities, estate strategies, and financial planning wherever possible to ensure that environmental objectives remain achievable and sustainable.

Monitoring & Review

The Climate Action Plan will be reviewed annually to assess progress, identify emerging priorities, and ensure continued alignment with national guidance and Trust objectives.

Monitoring arrangements will include periodic reporting to trustees and senior leaders on progress against agreed actions and targets. Schools will also be encouraged to share examples of effective practice and local initiatives that contribute to Trust-wide sustainability goals.

The Trust recognises that sustainability is an evolving area requiring ongoing reflection and adaptation. This plan should therefore be viewed as a living document that will continue to develop over time as knowledge, opportunities, and organisational capacity grow.