Operations and the supply chain

We will actively work to reduce our carbon impact by challenging all areas of the Trust and the wider supply chain to operate more sustainably.

We will become champions of the circular economy, regenerating nature, eliminating or reducing waste through proactive maintenance, reusing materials, refurbishing equipment and actively recycling and composting.

We are committed to reducing the number of commutes and miles travelled through work. We have established a working from home policy for our central team and we are looking at ways to expand this to our school-based colleagues. We encourage the use of online meetings and we have maintenance experts local to our schools to minimise travel. We will encourage the use of green technologies in our small maintenance fleet to reduce our carbon emissions.

We will challenge our supply chain, prioritising sustainability, the environment and ethical organisations when purchasing goods and services. Where possible we will look to buy local to reduce the carbon footprint of our procurement.

We place high expectations on our external partners and demand that they are committed to imbedding sustainable practices in their operations. We will ensure that our partners commit to our environmental goals and strategic aims as part of a supplier agreement.

Success Criteria

Circular Economy:

  • Regenerate nature: We will participate in a calendar of initiatives that regenerate nature, such as ‘No Mow May’, tree planting and urban agriculture.
  • Reducing waste: We will minimise the amount of waste that goes to landfill by eliminating the purchase of single use plastics, composting and promoting the reuse and recycling of products.
  • Reusing equipment: Where possible we will commit to purchasing refurbished equipment, reducing waste and the consumption of finite or environmentally harmful resources.
  • Recycling equipment and resources: We will seek to recycle equipment and resources, either within our organisation or by donating equipment to those less fortunate than ourselves.

Reduce vehicle emissions:

  • Hybrid working: We will reduce the number of commutes by adopting hybrid working practices, utilising technology to work from home.
  • Online meetings: We will embrace technology and encourage online meetings to reduce unnecessary travel.
  • Maintenance fleet: We will look to adopt green technologies to reduce vehicle emissions from our small maintenance fleet.

The supply chain:

  • Procurement: We will ensure the environment and sustainability are prioritised in our procurement decision making.
  • Living wage foundation: We will work towards becoming a living wage foundation employer and ensuring all our suppliers are committed to paying their employees a fair wage.

Supplier Agreement:

  • Partnerships: We will insist on our partners committing to a partnership agreement that
    ensures a commitment to the environment and sustainability.

What are we already doing

Adopted hybrid working, decreasing carbon emissions by reducing commuting to and from the office.

We are challenging our catering partner at 26 of our schools to reduce food waste.

12 of our schools are demonstrating their commitment to the circular economy by using refurbished IT equipment.

Our cleaning partner across 21 of our schools was selected due to their commitment to pay the Living Wage Foundation amount to all employees.

17 of our schools are using eco-friendly cleaning products.

“The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.”

Laudato Si, Pope Francis (2015)