A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE

AUSTRALIAN SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS

INITIATIVE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

(AuSSI-WA)

CONTENTS

Background and Overview 1

About this Guide 1

What might a ‘Sustainable School’ look like? 2

Why become a ‘Sustainable School’? 2

Getting Started or Moving Forward 3

Where to go for Help 3

Participating AuSSI-WA Schools – Examples of Activity 4

References 4

1

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI) is a partnership of the

Australian Government and the States and Territories that supports schools to

develop a whole school approach to Education for Sustainability (EfS).

Sustainability is defined by AuSSI in Western Australia (AuSSI-WA) as:

‘The protection and replenishment of our natural environment, and the

development of just, diverse societies supported by effective economies.’

The initiative integrates existing environmental and social education programs and

resources into a coordinated framework. In WA, partner organisations have formed

the ‘AuSSI-WA Alliance’, further details of which can be found on the AuSSI-WA

website: www.det.wa.edu.au/sustainableschools.

AuSSI-WA supports the delivery of nationally agreed goals in the Melbourne

Declaration (2008).

It also supports implementation of the Australian Curriculum in which sustainability

is a cross curriculum priority. Sustainability provides schools with a highly

meaningful context for teaching and learning, with connections to all learning

areas, other cross curriculum priorities and the general capabilities, specifically

critical and creative thinking and ethical behaviour.

The initiative supports considered and efficient use of schools’ resources (e.g.

energy, water, products and materials) and the sustainable management of school

grounds (e.g. biodiversity, waste, landscape design and vehicular traffic).

In addition, it promotes key concepts and themes such as social justice,

participation, fair trade, human rights and cultural diversity and respect consistent

with an holistic, integrated model of sustainability.

AuSSI supports action-learning based, transformative education that embeds

sustainability within the culture of the school.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The information contained in this guide derives from the collective thoughts and

ideas developed by schools (from the three education sectors) and key partners

involved in the AuSSI-WA pilot program in 2005 with subsequent refinement by

other schools.

Its purpose is to outline a supportive process for school communities that:

• provides a rationale for EfS;

• acknowledges and celebrates existing EfS achievements;

• enhances understandings of the processes and practices that advance a

whole school approach to EfS;

• increases capacity and motivation to engage in EfS;

• assists in the development of a Sustainability Action Plan; and

• -assists in the development of cross curricula programs appropriate to

local context.

2

WHAT MIGHT A ‘SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL’ LOOK LIKE?

Most schools in Western Australia engage in many elements of EfS through areas

such as utilities management, recycling programs, ‘water wise’/‘waste wise’

activities, bushland or dune re-vegetation schemes, reconciliation activities and

student resilience and well-being programs.

A decision to become a ‘sustainable school’ ultimately signals commitment to the

concept of embedding sustainability within the culture of the school i.e. the whole

school engaging in an ongoing process of improvement in the practical operations

of the school and enhancement of EfS across the curriculum.

This commitment builds on various aspects of existing programs and practice, and

provides a clear focus for continued whole school development via reference to a

supportive framework and process.

Some of the characteristics of a ‘sustainable school’ would include:

• a shared vision with broad ownership from the school community;

• a commitment to achieving positive social, environmental and economic

outcomes;

• a broad range of meaningful, cross curricular EfS activities involving all

students and teachers; and

• good sustainability practice modelled in school operations e.g. decision

making processes, purchasing policies.

WHY BECOME A ‘SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL’? Curriculum implementation

• sustainability is an exciting, empowering context for teaching and learning

supported by a comprehensive range of resources;

• EfS provides the basis for students to develop all general capabilities but

specifically critical and creative thinking and ethical behaviour;

• EfS provides meaningful interconnections to the other cross curriculum

priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures; Asia

and Australia’s engagement with Asia; and

• EfS has direct links to content within all Learning Area outcomes, most

specifically History, Science, and Geography

Student wellbeing

• student voice and engagement is a key focus that supports empowerment, self

esteem and resilience; and

• differentiated learning styles are supported through action-based learning.

Professional learning and networking opportunities

Community leadership

• EfS supports the process of building vibrant, connected school communities

with action-based learning providing a range of social, environmental and

economic benefits; and

• learning flows between school and home environments are enhanced,

supporting broader behavioural change and positive outcomes for

sustainability.

3

GETTING STARTED OR MOVING FORWARD

• Every school is doing something within the context of EfS and, as such, sits

somewhere on a ‘sustainable schools continuum’.

• Each school community is unique and will approach its ‘journey towards

sustainability’ in ways that best meet its local needs and context.

• Developing good EfS practice requires a commitment to an ongoing process

of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of learning and

behaviour linked to participation in a broad range of activities. A whole

school approach will take time to develop and consolidate.

Some key steps

The steps outlined below can be regarded as broadly sequential, but may not

necessarily occur in the order stated – some might be developed concurrently.

The AuSSI-WA professional learning program ‘Making the Connections’ and

associated support ‘tools’ provides support for this process, details of which can be

found on the initiative website at: www.det.wa.edu.au/sustainableschools

• Bring together a group of interested people with the broadest

representation from across the school community as possible. The group

can discuss possible pathways for the school to develop a whole school

approach to EfS.

• Support the development of a shared understanding of sustainability

and, at the earliest possible opportunity, start the process of creating a

vision for what the school could look like with sustainability embedded

within its culture.

• Acknowledge existing EfS activities and celebrate achievements –

these are some of the initial ‘building blocks’ for a whole school approach.

• Establish appropriate planning processes for EfS with the aim of developing

a whole school Sustainability Action Plan. This will build on the review

and evolve over a period of time, linking to, and being integrated with,

broader school policy processes and documents, as appropriate.

WHERE TO GO FOR HELP

The AuSSI-WA website (including online toolkit) provides further details of the

various elements of this whole school planning framework The website includes:

• school case studies;

• examples of sustainability action plans;

• templates for review, planning and celebration;

• links to funding opportunities;

• links to local resources and contacts including AuSSI-WA Alliance members;

and

• communication tools

The primary aim of the website is to showcase school case studies and stories –

examples of good EfS practice that will provide a meaningful resource in terms of

inspiring and guiding other schools.

AuSSI-WA website: www.det.wa.edu.au/sustainableschools

National AuSSI website: www.environment.gov.au/education/aussi/index.html

4

PARTICIPATING AuSSI-WA SCHOOLS – EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITY

• Sustainability Action Plans at various stages of development – for some

schools with a long history of EfS activity, strategic long term plans have been

developed with staff, student, parents and local community involvement.

• Sharing of experience via a range of medium including website, DVD, school

and community newsletters.

• Whole school visioning exercises – the whole school community invited to

contribute to a draft vision for a ‘sustainable school’.

• Sustainability committees or working groups formed to coordinate EfS activity.

• Staff exchange visits to share good practice in EfS.

• Renewable energy projects, some with partnerships established between

cluster of schools and local business.

• Consideration given to including ‘understanding of, and commitment to,

sustainability and EfS’ in selection criteria for new staff.

• Allocation of resources provided to teachers (including time) to coordinate EfS

activity across the school.

• Local community partnerships e.g. community workshops and recycling

programs based at school; schools working in partnership with local

government and other agencies to care for local wetlands and bushland

areas.

• Cultural exchanges established by schools.

Further examples of activity can be found by viewing school case studies on the

AuSSI-WA website.

REFERENCES Commonwealth of Australia (2009) Living Sustainably, The Australian

Government’s National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (2008)

Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians

Curriculum Corporation (2005) Educating for a Sustainable Future, A National

Environmental Education Statement for Australian Schools. Australian Government

Department of the Environment and Heritage

Henderson, K and Tilbury, D. (2004) Whole school Approaches to Sustainability:

An International Review of Sustainable Schools Programs. Report prepared by the

Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES) for the

Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government