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Awarded to the school project that can demonstrate a benefit to the environment and the environmental education of its pupils.
2025 Winner: King's Academy Easthampstead Park
King’s Academy Easthampstead Park is committed to sustainability and fostering environmental responsibility in Bracknell and beyond. The school won the 2024 Eco Rewards Most Improved School Award, logging 3,000 green miles and significantly reducing carbon emissions. Sustainability is embedded in assemblies, collaborations with Reading and Surrey universities, and student-led Eco Council initiatives, such as energy-saving reminders and daily litter picks. The school is also partnering with Make it Wild to promote biodiversity awareness. Through these efforts, the Academy has developed a sustainable model benefiting both the school and community, making it a strong contender for the Environmental Practice Award.
Commended
Balfour Junior School, Kent
Balfour Junior School has embraced the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) programme, transforming play provision to support creativity, social interaction, and environmental responsibility. By incorporating recycled materials like pallets, tyres, and cardboard boxes into play areas, pupils develop problem-solving skills while learning about sustainability. The yellow cap team promotes a clean environment through regular litter-picking. These initiatives have reduced lunchtime behaviour incidents, improved classroom focus, and actively cut waste by repurposing materials. Through risk management education and imaginative play, pupils gain valuable life skills, making OPAL a key driver of both personal development and environmental awareness.
The Wallace High School, Co. Antrim, N Ireland
The Wallace High School, a selective grammar school with 1,200 pupils, is on a net zero journey, tackling high energy costs and environmental responsibility. Efforts include a 1:1 iPad Scheme (reducing paper use), a 2019 LED lighting refit, and a 2022 Carbon Reduction Plan. In 2023, 281 solar panels were installed, saving 42.74 tCO2e and £41,000 annually. 2024 saw six EV chargers powered by solar energy installed. A £2.99 million retrofit project, including air-source heat pumps and insulation, aims to save £85,900 and 148 tCO2e yearly. Wallace leads in school sustainability, inspiring change locally and beyond.
Kingsley School Devon
Kingsley’s Earth Centre, launched in 2019, has made significant strides in sustainability education. The KS3 Diploma offers 1.5 hours of experiential learning weekly, covering biodiversity, fast fashion, and carbon footprint analysis. Student efforts have cut transport CO2e by 6%, reduced 322tCO2e through water conservation, and planted 1,000+ trees this year. The school piloted a L3 Environmental Leadership course with WWF and RSPB, leading community events and research contributions. Surf Academy students earned Gold Level ECOBOARD accreditation for sustainable surfboards. Kingsley actively engages in national environmental discussions, empowering students to lead sustainability efforts in school and beyond.
Henry Maynard Primary School, London
Henry Maynard Primary School's comprehensive Sustainability Curriculum educates students on climate change, with each year group focusing on specific aspects such as deforestation and biodiversity. This curriculum is complemented by hands-on experiences in the school's Kitchen Garden, where students learn about sustainable food production by growing and caring for plants. Annually, the school celebrates Earth Day, featuring activities like assemblies with guest speakers from organisations such as Greenpeace and Solar for Schools, and exhibitions showcasing students' sustainability projects. Additionally, the school has implemented a School Street initiative, restricting vehicle access during peak times to promote safer, cleaner environments. These efforts collectively foster environmental responsibility and community engagement among students.
Liberty Woodland School, London
Liberty Woodland School operates as the UK's first fully outdoor school, fostering a profound connection with nature among students. The campus features eco-friendly infrastructure, including a growing tunnel and a renewable energy centre, constructed using UK-grown Douglas fir timber and weathered corten steel. The school's curriculum integrates environmentalism, teaching students about renewable energy, gardening, and sustainable food production. Recognising its efforts, the Independent Schools Association awarded Liberty Woodland School the Sustainability Award in 2022. Through these comprehensive efforts, Liberty Woodland School cultivates environmental responsibility and sustainable living practices among its students.
The Valley School/Hertfordshire CC, Hertfordshire
The Valley School in Stevenage, in collaboration with Hertfordshire County Council, has achieved a significant milestone by constructing a net-zero carbon operational facility. Completed in December 2023, this £15.8 million project replaced outdated 1960s structures with a modern building tailored for Special Educational Needs (SEN) students. Sustainable features include green roofs, solar panels, and high-efficiency insulation, resulting in an 'A' rated Energy Performance Certificate. The design incorporates triple-glazed windows and energy-efficient HVAC systems, ensuring minimal environmental impact. This initiative underscores the council's dedication to embedding sustainability in public infrastructure, setting a benchmark for future educational facilities.
Hathershaw College, Oldham
Hathershaw College in Oldham demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental sustainability through various initiatives. The school's Eco Committee actively engages students in environmental projects, including conducting audits to reduce single-use plastics within the school community. Additionally, the college has collaborated with educators to promote sustainable practices and environmental education, encouraging students to contribute to a sustainable future. These efforts reflect Hathershaw College's dedication to fostering environmental responsibility among its students and staff.
2024 Winner: Stony Dean School
Based in Buckinghamshire, Stony Dean School has worked hard to implement energy saving initiatives towards reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The school takes part in the SAMHE Project - Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education, where pupils use Air Monitors and review the data collected as part of the Science Curriculum. The school’s three minibuses are now electric, while a sustainable procurement policy helps ensure low-impact, fair trade or environmentally friendly suppliers are identified.
Commended
The Wallace High School, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Highfield and Brookham School, East Hampshire
Wright Robinson College, Manchester
James Allen's Girls School, London
2023 Winner: Kingsley School, Devon
Kingsley School’s environmental ethos runs throughout its curriculum, grounds, practices and its culture. A large solar array across the school site reduces reliance on grid-provided electricity while air source heat pumps at boarding premises reduce the reliance on natural gas. This advances its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2027.
Commended
Highfield and Brookham Schools, Hampshire
Stony Dean School, Buckinghamshire
Lockers Park, Hertfordshire
Piper's Corner School, Buckinghamshire
2022 Winner
Castledon School, Essex
Commended
St Aidan's Catholic Academy, Sunderland
Ysgol Dinas Bran, Denbighshire
Coychurch Primary School, Bridgend
2021 Winner
Worle Community School Academy, North Somerset
Worle Community School Academy in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, has been praised across the world in a competition involving 105 nations. Climate Justice Revolution, which has grown from 4 pupils in 2019 to over 20, won a commendation for Social Media Champions as well as being semi finalists in the international Global Social Leaders competition involving over 600 teams. The school has recently installed two electric car chargers.
Commended
Ysgol Y Foel, Wales
St. Francis Xavier School, North Yorkshire
Leeds East Academy, West Yorkshire
Northgate High School, Norfolk
2020 Winner
Damers First School, Dorset
At Damers all of their eco-work has had a huge reach locally and nationally. The school has worked with their local community, informing everyone how they could reduce their use of plastics. Pupils even put pressure on local businesses leading to one local butchers becoming a zero waste shop. So far, 84 businesses have signed a pledge to remove 3 types of single-use plastic from their organisation. The school works with volunteers from the local community to grow and harvest fruit and vegetables. They have also contacted other local schools to devise a county-wide litter policy. Pupils from Damers have been invited to be a part of Dorset Council’s Climate Change Panel, separately, setting up their own steering group to help make Dorchester as green as possible.
Commended
Ysgol Clywedog, Wrexham
St Dunstans College, London
Cardinal Allen School, Lancashire
Northgate High School, Norfolk
2019 Winner
Bedford Drive Primary School, Birkenhead
Bedford Drive Primary School’s Eco Club started almost ten years ago and has since empowered pupils to improve their environmental awareness and drive change. In 2018, the school was involved in an art installation by Lulu Quinn entitled A Message in a Bottle. Children from the Eco Club were invited along to a workshop with the artist to help in forming the huge sculpture made from one-use plastic bottles, which was then installed at Marine Point in New Brighton.
Commended
Victoria Park Primary School, Bristol
To ensure that the whole school has an input into sustainability, each class at Victoria Park Primary School elects an ‘Eco Rep’. Each year the school’s Green Team team work together using data collated from audits, the school action plan and advice from Eco Schools to establish an action plan of goals for the following year. Past projects have included events such as Waste Week, Switch Off Fortnight and even shoe exchanges.
St Anne’s Church Academy, North Somerset
St Anne’s Church Academy was named North Somerset’s school of the year due largely to its efforts to reduce traffic and encourage children to be more active.
A programme of initiatives including a walk to school campaign, scooter safety sessions and a park and ride shuttle system have all proved popular with pupils and parents. The school has also earned bronze Modeshift STARS accreditation for excellence in promoting sustainable travel.
Denton Community Primary School, Newhaven
New research shows four in ten children are breathing toxic air at school, leaving pupils at an increased risk of developing lifelong conditions including asthma. On March 25, Denton Community Primary School in Newhaven closed the road outside the school to improve air quality and safety outside the school gates. The ’School Streets’ initiative is part of the Big Pedal challenge, a competition to promote cycling, walking and scooting to school, promoted by SusTrans.
Putney High School, London
Two innovative projects in the last year have put wellbeing and green infrastructure at the heart of Putney High School’s learning, development and commitment to the community. Led by an elected student Eco-Committee, Putney’s ‘Breathe’ initiative was designed to make a positive impact on the lives of Wandsworth school children and local residents by tackling environmental issues in the borough.
2018 Winner
Hever Church of England Aided Primary School
The new 166 square meter double classroom block at Hever Church of England Aided Primary School is as an extremely energy efficient and low-carbon building. Designed and built by Net Zero Building, the block is fully powered by electricity removing the need for a gas supply. The annual electricity consumption for is around 30kWh per m2 per annum as opposed to 120kWh for a traditionally built alternative. The rapid assembly kept disruption to a minimum.
Commended
Thingwall Primary School, Merseyside
Fochriw Primary School, Caerphilly, Wales
London Islamic School, London
St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Berkshire
2017 Winner
Gilbrook School
Gilbrook, a maintained primary special school, was invited to help produce a report for a Commons Select Committee inquiry into the future of our parks. The report, Nature is Nurture reinforced the idea that there is a huge, positive impact on children’s mental health when using outdoor space and focused on how green spaces benefit our children. Use of the schools outside area is thoroughly embedded throughout the curriculum. This helps support the mental health and well-being of pupils and staff, and helps pupils understand and act on environmental issues.
Commended
Bootroyd Primary Academy
Bromley High School
Redmoor Academy
2016 Winner
King's Ely, Cambridgeshire
>King’s Ely has become the first independent school in the East of England to win the Modeshift STARS Award for its sustainable transport policies. The scheme encourages schools to increase levels of sustainable and active transport and in so doing, improve the health and well-being of children and young people. King’s Ely promotes the use of cycling and walking to and from school, as well as safer travel practices, both on and off school grounds. The school has been recognised for working with the highways authority on several projects to improve student safety when travelling, and has implemented more school buses and bus routes to reduce the number of individual vehicles travelling on Cambridgeshire roads.
Commended
Mellor Primary School, Cheshire
Benenden School, Kent
King's Ely, Cambridgeshire
2015 Winner
Lutley Primary School, Halesowen
A teaching assistant from Halesowen has won a top award for the environmental projects she started at her school. Lutley Primary School teacher Liz Cole scooped the World Wildlife Fund’s Green Ambassadors Teacher Award 2014 after running a forest school, allotment, eco council and recycling. Head teacher Rebecca Cox nominated Miss Cole for the award and she beat off 200 other hopefuls to win the accolade. At the Awards, the judge said: “I have never before met a person who is so devoted to ensuring that the next generations of children are highly aware of their environment and their impact upon it.”
Commended
St Bartholomew's First School, Crewkerne
strong>South Otterington Church of England Primary School, Northallerton
