Who, what, where?

The Who?

Who is involved in setting up the School’s goals and projects and how could you do it?

Pupils

• To really get your teeth into Using Less Stuff the involvement of students is vital.
• Students pass positive feedback to parents which would spark a chain reaction, making them want to get involved too.
• You could hold class discussions during morning tutor each week/month/term where students can write down on their ULS card what they are going to do to make a difference.
• You could have a student body ‘Green Committee’ – these pupils should be the most passionate about promoting positive change in the Using Less Stuff Initiative.
• The Green Committee could gather information from all the students to see what they are interested in regarding Using Less.
• You could hold an after school Eco-Club once a week to get students involved too.

Parents

• Parental engagement has been proven to be the biggest change-maker in improving a child’s behaviour, learning and achievement in schools.
• By having the support of parents, the students will be motivated to work harder on Using Less.
• To increase parental involvement you should share the achievements and successes of individual students and of the whole school because it sends a message that if they are making a difference so parents can too. (Certificates for students are available in the downloads area).
• You could introduce new events which parents can help organise and run. For example you could hold an annual Green Fair.
• You could set up an eco-blog which keeps parents (and the wider community) informed.

Staff

• True leadership demands getting buy-in from those you lead (plus it can make your job easier)!
• To get staff involved you should make it clear what the end goal is and also why you are doing it – gather all the staff together (or as many as possible) and talk through the Using Less Stuff idea.
• Assign specific tasks and also encourage individuals to play to their strengths because when they are set up to succeed they are more motivated to achieve.
• Making sure staff know that their contribution is vital to the outcome will encourage them to do more.
• Follow up! It’s so easy to fall off the bandwagon which is why the Using Less Stuff Committee is vital for success. Having someone in the committee from each department will allow for easier communication between staff.
• Nip resistance in the bud. Remind people that it’s ‘can’t do’ and ‘this won’t make a difference’ attitudes that have prevented change being made in the first place.

The What?

Knowing what you are working towards will contribute to the success of the end result.

• Make sure you apply SMART goals to what it is you will be doing.
• There are a number of different topics that you can work on: Energy, water, waste, transport, gas, stationery, litter, healthy living, recycling and biodiversity. – It doesn’t even have to stop there.
• It’s important to understand that there is something for everyone in the Using Less Stuff programme from the youngest to the oldest.
• For your youngest students (Foundation level) you could incorporate building a wormery or planting school tree nurseries. Using Less Stuff is versatile.
• For your older and artistic students you could organise a recycled material/ sustainable fashion show. (You can find specific projects in the material section).

The Where?

• Using Less Stuff doesn’t just end in the classroom because it is a behaviour change programme the knowledge and new habits picked up by all will continue on.
• Even encouraging parents or staff who are able to walk to school to do it once a week can make a big difference.
• Have posters around the school buildings to also reinforce the Using Less Stuff methodology.