Put sustainable development at the heart of your school

Secondary Schools

Introducing Groundwork...

Groundwork Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford (MSSTT) is an independent not-for-profit organisation that has an aim of ‘Changing Places, Changing Lives’ through a range of initiatives, often with an environmental or sustainability focus. Groundwork MSSTT works hard to deliver, inspire and improve local areas, businesses and the lives of local people, many of whom live in some of our most challenging neighbourhoods.

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I would like to say that Dale made huge strides in his development at Groundwork as a student, but most importantly as a young person making a breakthrough into society. His attitude and demeanour went from being closed, withdrawn and disengaged to being confident pro-active and determined. He now applies himself to tasks until completion and seeing his work as a result gave him a great sense of pride and achievement.

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John Howe, TA Loreto High School

How Groundwork can help your school achieve Groundwork works with young people in formal and informal settings to build confidence, improve aspirations, develop new skills and support them in critical transitions in their lives.

We can work with you to improve the environment within which your young people learn, add value to your curriculum and provide intensive support for young people in need.

We can help you:

> Enhance your environmental credentials by advising you on carbon saving, also delivering new educational opportunities and significant financial savings (See page 3)

> Raise your school’s profile by helping you develop a distinctive and positive physical environment for learning, such as by developing new outdoor learning or recreational space (See pages 5 & 6)

> Involve parents and the wider community in school life (See page 7 & 8)

> Encourage achievement by making learning more exciting and engaging and adding richness to your curriculum, for example through alternative curriculum programmes (See pages 9 & 10)

All our services are priced competitively and any surplus we generate is channelled back into our work in local communities.

For more information about any of our services to schools and costs please contact: Email: deborah.murray@groundwork.org.uk Tel: 0161 220 1000 2

Reducing your Carbon Footprint...

Save money and combat climate change Reducing energy use has many advantages for schools - it saves money, helps to combat climate change, improves the learning environment, provides new opportunities for learning and can enhance a school’s reputation. To maximise success, your approach to energy management needs to involve the whole school - staff, pupils, parents and governors. Saving carbon is about so much more than buildings and facilities, it’s about achieving real behaviour change within the school community to translate global concerns into local action.

Groundwork Environmental Business Services (EBS) can help schools save money and protect the environment by reducing their carbon footprint and raising environmental awareness amongst both pupils and staff members. Through the application of environmental training and the conduction of a Resource Efficiency Review, we can ensure that your school is sustainable and saving money in a time of tight budgets.

Groundwork Environmental Business Services can:

> Deliver resource efficiency / sustainablility reviews > Provide environmental, health and safety consultancy > Assess and produce display energy certificates > Provide environmental, health and safety training for teachers and students > Help ensure compliance with environment and health and safety legal requirements > Support your local Eco-Schools journey > Monitor, report and control your energy use > Undertake thermal imaging surveys 3

Savings made at Holly Cross School: 9,979 litres of oil 117.752 kwh of energy 29.44 tonnes of CO2 emissions TOTAL COST SAVING OF ÂŁ3,855

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Making The Most Of Your School Grounds...

Improve your outdoor space Do your school grounds create the best possible first impression for prospective parents and students? Could improving the design and learning potential of your school’s grounds provide your school with a unique attractor, as parents and students exercise their right to choose? Are your teachers and students able to make the most of your outdoor environment for learning, sport, health and fitness, socialising and relaxing? Do your grounds meet the needs and desires of their users?

At Groundwork our priority is to understand the needs and aspirations of your school whether these be about learning, play or relaxation. Our Landscape Architects and Youth and Community Engagement specialists will work together with parents, staff and students to get to the core of your requirements and to deliver an inspirational design which meets your brief.

We can take you through the whole process of school grounds design or you can choose the elements you require:

> Feasibility studies > Design > Costing > Accessing funding > Obtaining competitive tenders > Appointing and managing a contractor

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Embed learning into your new school grounds We understand the importance of embedding learning in any investment you make in your school. As well as designing informal outdoor learning space, we can ensure your school grounds improvement project offers many wider opportunities for students to gain real life experience of curriculum topics.

For example:

> Design technology – Experience a real life design evolve from consultation through to delivery; involve students in designing and constructing individual elements of the scheme; provide opportunities to cultivate plants and grow food

> Science – Increase understanding of climate change; learn about the use of sustainable materials, sustainable engineering solutions and the benefits of bio-diversity

> Personal, Social and Health Education – Explore how to obtain and act upon the views of other people during project design; design creative ways of encouraging students to increase their physical activity; increase understanding about the benefits of seasonal food growing

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Growing And Supporting Your School Community...

Skills, training for staff, students and volunteers We offer a range of support and training to staff, students and volunteers which will help you increase community involvement and enhance your curriculum

> Gardening and growing – With cultivation of plants being introduced as a compulsory topic in Key Stage 3 from September 2014 you will need the skills to deliver this. Our qualified horticulture specialists can “train the teacher” in growing skills or we can deliver teaching direct to students. We can also train school staff and volunteers in the maintenance and upkeep of growing areas

> Carbon Literacy – We can deliver inspirational action orientated Carbon Literacy sessions to your staff and can train them to deliver this to their students.

> Volunteering – We can help you engage, train and manage volunteers who wish to be involved in your school

Make links with your community Our Community Development Team can bring 30 years of Groundwork experience to support you in strengthening your school community.

We can: Help you develop engagement plans and deliver activities to engage parents and the

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wider community

> Support independent consultation and campaigns e.g. in relation to a grounds improvement project

> Help you develop and implement a volunteering strategy e.g. to support your growing activities

> Support the establishment of community interest groups within the school e.g.

Growing or Eco Teams

> Support and grow school cluster initiatives

In 2011 Groundwork Trusts organised 296,400 days of community involvement by young people Involved 2,400 schools in environmental and sustainable education programmes.

79% Of people we worked with said they felt more likely to return to education or training.

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Our Alternative Curriculum...

We know that some students don’t engage with traditional education methods. These students need an alternative approach to education which is stimulating and engaging, allowing them to achieve qualifications and to grow and develop in a way which is more suited to their needs. At Groundwork we offer a range of alternative curriculum programmes delivered by experienced and qualified trainers. These programmes contribute to your school peformance indicators and deliver improved motivation, attendance, confidence and self-esteem among pupils. They can also contribute to reduced NEET figures and lower staff stress levels.

“It’s helped me and made me try new things...it has helped my confidence and I have even done a work placement. I’ve completed my ASDAN Bronze and First Aid and worked towards CoPE Level 1.I’ve now started doing some SAM learning on days I’m not at Groundwork” A student on our Breakthrough Programme

Our Alternative Curriculum Programme

Horticulture Community Skills Social Enterprise Personal and Social Development 9

Please refer to our Alternative Curriculum brochure for more information

“The Groundwork Staff are excellent when it comes to motivating and enthusing pupils who may be struggling in a normal school environment�

TA, Manor High School 10

Contact us for further information: Visit: www.groundwork.org.uk/msstt Tel: 0161 220 1020 Email: deborah.murray@groundwork.org.uk

Groundwork Manchester, Salford , Stockport, Tameside and Trafford is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England.

Company Registration No. 6543150. Charity Registration No. 1124508. Registered Office: Timber Wharf, 42-50 Worsley St, Castlefield, Manchester, M15 4LD.