Resource Futures’ Education Team is working with Bath and North East Somerset Council to motivate teachers and pupils to save energy through simple, everyday changes in behaviour. Primary schools have been invited to take part in the B.E.S.T. (B&NES Energy Saving Teams) competition, with exciting prizes to be won.
Focusing on pupil-led behavioural change and integrating energy efficiency into the curriculum, B.E.S.T. complements recent work by B&NES and Transition Bath to support schools with making their buildings more energy efficient. A B.E.S.T. workshop in January 2015 will outline the competition and introduce teachers and business managers to SystemsLink, an online tool allowing schools to access Smart Meter data for their schools at the click of a mouse. A pack of resources featuring the competition’s engaging mascot will support schools to run a high-profile two-week campaign to switch off lights and electrical appliances, involving the whole school community.
Prizes will be awarded in three categories, designed so that all schools have a chance to win, irrespective of the type of their building or how much energy they have already saved.
- Lowest per pupil electricity use over the two-week campaign period
- Largest percentage reduction in electricity use during the campaign, compared with a baseline established by B&NES
- Most impressive whole-school campaign
For category three, judges will be looking for evidence of involving the whole-school community (for example breakfast and after school clubs, cleaners and catering staff); creative ways of spreading the message to adults and pupils (designing posters is great, but what about composing a rap or making an animation?); and making links to curriculum work. They are looking forward to examples of pupils using their literacy skills to persuade others to save energy and analysing energy data during maths lessons.
The deadline for entries is 20th March 2015. Most schools will run their B.E.S.T. campaign in early March; however schools that have already taken part in Energy Month in November 2014 (organised by EDF’s the POD), can submit their the results and be in with the chance of winning a prize.
Schools that sign up early will also be eligible for in-school support, provided by Resource Futures’ experienced Education Team. This will be customised to suit the needs of the school and could include: a planning meeting with staff, action-planning with the pupil campaign team, energy detective work with pupils to establish areas of potential saving and an assembly to launch the campaign to the whole school.
If you have links with a local primary school please encourage them to contact Amy Dartington (Amy_Dartington@bathnes.gov.uk) to sign up for the competition. As well as great prizes to be won, there are potential long-term cost savings for schools that use the competition to kick-start lasting behavioural change.