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Issue 1 - September 2025
Welcome back to a new term! In this newsletter we’ll be sharing news from one of the schools that has joined the B4C network, upcoming deadlines for finalising your climate action plans, support and learning opportunities for educators and young people, as well as information about funding and free resources to support your setting to become more sustainable.
The Built for Change team has been busy over the summer, including working with partner agencies to develop support offers, and gaining a new member of the team: Laura Inglis joined us at the start of September, bringing with her a wealth of experience from previous positions, including her last role with the SCC Community Forestry Team.
It's been an exceptionally hot and dry summer, bringing challenges to education settings across the country. Over the coming months we will share a range of opportunities and support, starting with guidance on how schools can take steps to adapt to increasingly extreme weather. If there are any topics you would like to know more about, or if you have found an action, supplier or product that has made a difference to your school in extreme weather (whether good or bad) we'd love to hear from you.
News
Act now to meet the DfE deadline for having a climate action plan in place
If you don’t yet have a completed climate action plan (CAP) in place, now is the time to act to ensure you meet the DfE deadline. The DfE expect all education providers to have a named sustainability lead and to complete climate action plans by autumn 2025. Having a climate action plan is now a requirement for schools looking to achieve above Level One of the School Estate Management Standards, and can have a range of benefits including:
- help you save money
- improve your learning and teaching environments and outcomes by reducing impacts from high temperatures and flooding
- help reduce pupil absence during hot weather
- improve air quality
To support you with in writing your CAP, Built for Change Network partner Let’s Go Zero is hosting a series of workshops – see the events section for details and to sign up.
Arbourthorne Community Primary Horticultural Show
Tuesday 2nd September saw Arbourthorne Community Primary hold its third annual horticultural show! Held on the first day of term, the show engages new parents and carers right from the start, and is a chance to show the community all the great work they have done developing their outdoor learning and vegetable growing programme! There were vegetable stalls, clothing and toy swaps, loads of fun family activities and educational stalls from various Built for Change and other sustainability focused partners. As always, it was a pleasure to be part of and a wonderful start to the school year.
If you are organising a sustainability themed event at your setting that you’d like to share, or that you would like us to attend, please get in touch.
Let’s Go Zero climate action plan support workshops
These workshops aim to build your confidence around climate action in your setting and allow you to develop a bespoke climate action plan (CAP). Let’s Go Zero advisors will be on hand to provide 1-1 support and answer any questions you may have.
- Workshop 1: Monday 15th September 3.30 - 4.30 p.m - focusing on “Getting started: the what, why and how of climate action in schools” and
- Workshop 2: Monday 6th October 3.30 – 5.00 p.m. - covering “creating your climate action plan”, including access Sheffield specific resources covering local funding and support options.
Book for these online workshops using the links below: please note that you should be available to attend both workshops, and that they are interactive sessions so please join on a device with a camera if possible.
Sheffield City Council Youth Takeover week
3rd – 7th November 2025
This year Sheffield City Council is holding a full week of Youth Takeover activity. The aim of Takeover week is to actively hear the voices of Children and Young People aged 11-25, enabling them to share their ideas, suggest changes and improvements by involving them in making decisions that affect them. Each young person will have several tasks to complete and will be encouraged to identify the changes and improvements they would like to make to services.
There’ll be a range of opportunities and experiences for young people to get involved with across the council. Built for Change will be offering activities during this week and would like to prioritise young people from Built for Change settings. If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch before 9.00a.m. on Thursday 18th September.
STEM project funding
Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists is a fund of up to £3000 for schools to run STEM projects in partnership with academic or industry professionals, delivered by the Royal Society. The grant fund has three submission deadlines across the year, the next one being November 2025.
The Branching Out Fund from the Tree Council provides grants of £250-£2500 for community groups and schools to buy and plant trees. Closing date is 14th November 2025.
The government is offering financial support for state-funded education settings to install EV chargepoint sockets on their site. The grant will cover 75% of the cost of installing chargepoints, and up to 40 sockets per institution. The closing date for applications is 31st March 2026.
A few places are still available for South Yorkshire schools to join the Good Life Schools programme to support young people to explore the impact of our consumer-driven society, and to take action. Schools receive programme resources with the structure and activities for a minimum of 10x40 minute group sessions, £2,000 of funding, free teacher training for school staff, ongoing support from a Community Engagement Lead, free green skills workshops on request, and invites to a celebration event in Sheffield at the end of the academic year. Get in touch with the South Yorkshire community engagement lead, Laura, to find out more.
National Education Nature Park has lots of resources for improving the biodiversity on your site, including mapping software, guidance for educators and lesson plans for all ages. Regional co-ordinators are also on hand to visit sites and provide expert input.
Have you been forwarded this email by a colleague and would like to sign up to the Built for Change network for Sheffield schools, early years and further education providers?
The Built for Change programme is being delivered by Sheffield City Council in partnership with:
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