How it works

  
  
The Eco-Schools programme involves seven steps that any school can adopt. Based on the elements of an environmental management programme, the process involves a wide range of stakeholders but it is pupils who must play the most important role. Although Eco-Schools may be awarded a Green Flag after a period, the process is on-going and schools must continue to work towards their objectives and re-apply for the award in the future.

Establishment of the Eco-School Committee: The core of the Eco-Schools process, the Committee organizes and directs the school activities and consists of the stakeholders of the school environment, namely pupils, teachers, custodial staff, caretakers, parents and even representatives of the municipality or local authority. The sense of democracy involved, and the motivation in resolving initiatives brought forth by the students themselves are products of this process.
  
Environmental Review: Work commences with a review or assessment of the environmental impact of the school. Pupils are involved in this work, ranging from assessing the level of litter on school grounds to checking infrastructure for inefficiencies.
  
Action Plan: The information from the review is used to identify priority areas and create an action plan, setting achievable and realistic targets and deadlines to improve environmental performance on specific issues.
  
Monitoring and Evaluation: Ensures that progress towards targets is followed, that any necessary changes are made to the action plan and that achievement is celebrated. It further ensures that environmental education and care is an on-going process in the school.
  
Curriculum Work: Classroom study of themes such as energy, water and waste are undertaken by most students. The whole school should be involved in practical initiatives, for example, saving water, recycling materials and preventing litter. Where environment and sustainable education is not part of the national/regional curriculum, recommendations are made as to how this can be incorporated. Efforts should be made to involve environmental education throughout the curriculum, in addition to the more evident areas of study such as science and geography.
  
Informing and Involving: This directly brings Local Agenda 21 into schools, as parents, local authorities, businesses and the wider community are involved in the Eco-Schools process. Schools are encouraged to make ties with external organisations in order to benefit from their experience and expertise. Eco-Schools are also encouraged to consider the wider community when preparing action plans. Schools can keep the wider community informed of actions taken through classroom displays, school assemblies and press coverage.
  
Eco-code: Each school produces its own ‘Eco-code’, a statement of values and objectives, outlining what the students are striving to achieve.
  

After a period of participation, an evaluation of the success of these initiatives and the methodology is undertaken, and the whole Eco-Schools programme for each school is assessed. Successful schools are awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag. Whereas there is flexibility as to the ceremony and awarding process, the criteria for assessing schools for the award should be faithful to the guidelines agreed. Following are the most elementary criteria for assessing Eco-Schools for the Green Flag, though National Programmes often have further quantitative, qualitative or procedural requirements.
  
• The Eco-Schools Process, sometimes referred to as the 7-step process, is the central, underlying approach that Eco-Schools offers. Some national programmes go beyond this process, but the successful implementation of this process will be common to all schools, which have been awarded;
• Eco-Schools should involve the whole, or the greatest part, of the school. It should not be a programme for an Eco-Committee only. National Programme Managers will consider evidence of whole school activities in their assessment for awards;
• Eco-Schools should achieve at least 2/3 of the objectives in their Action Plan, in order to qualify for an award. This should be demonstrable;
• The school should demonstrate an active communication strategy, to inform the whole school and community of its activities;
• The Local Authority (ies) should be involved in some capacity - this is a required element of Local Agenda 21, which characterizes Eco-Schools;
• Regardless of the approached themes, schools should concentrate first on understanding and implementing the seven steps of the programme to change the school and its environment;
• Schools are recommended to establish links or contacts with other schools in different regions or countries, using the Eco-Schools linking project or any other means;
• While national programmes and schools specifically can, and should be encouraged to, participate in various themes and issues of relevance to Local Agenda 21, the core themes of Eco-Schools are Water, Energy and Waste.