APPENDIX 22
Memorandum from Groundwork
INTRODUCTION
1. Groundwork is a federation of 48 locally-owned
Groundwork Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, between
them working with over 100 local authorities to deliver "joined-up"
solutions to the challenges faced by our most deprived communities.
2. Groundwork has 21 years experience of
engaging and involving communities in practical projects to improve
quality of life and promote sustainable development. Last year
Groundwork supported 4,800 projects encouraging volunteers of
all ages to give up 340,000 days of their time, provided 50,000
weeks worth of training and created 2,500 jobs.
3. The values of empowerment and capacity
building are at the heart of all of Groundwork's activity and
formal and informal learning are integral to many projects and
programmes. In terms of learning for sustainability, Groundwork
works in and with schools to deliver formal education, with young
people outside of school to support personal development and employability
and with adults both in communities and in the workplace. All
of this work is undertaken in partnership with a wide range of
national, regional and local organisations in the public, private
and voluntary sector.
4. Through these projects in schools, homes
and businesses we aim to educate people of all ages to act more
responsibly with regard to energy, waste, water and transport,
to respect local places and other people and to understand more
about local heritage and biodiversity.
EDUCATION FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN SCHOOLS
1.1 Groundwork has 21 years experience of
working with schools to achieve change both in the classroom and
in the wider community, providing benefits for pupils, teachers,
parents, LEAs and the Government. Since 1981 around two million
schoolchildren have benefited from our education programmes, and
the work we do with schools is often the starting point for larger
regeneration projects. A review of Groundwork's work in schools
was undertaken in 2002, including surveys of past activity, case
studies of current models, an assessment of end user satisfaction
and the exploration of future opportunities. It found that Groundwork
has made a very substantial contribution to sustainable development
education over the past twenty years:
— Since 1981 Groundwork has delivered
projects in nearly 4,000 schools, actively involving 350,000 pupils
and bringing benefits to 2 million more.
— Groundwork has worked directly with
some 12,500 teachers providing training, skills development and
new classroom resources.
— 79% of activities have contributed
to National Curriculum targets.
— Groundwork Trusts have contributed
in-kind resources to schools with a value of more than £5.5
million, representing 6% of Groundwork's national annual spend.
— Groundwork Trusts bring into schools
143 local and national partner organisations.
— Groundwork Trusts are active in 12
Education Action Zones
Good practice 1
RMC Greenlink is a national schools programme
developed by Groundwork which takes children behind the scenes
of local industry to look at issues of waste minimisation. An
evaluation of the programme demonstrated measurable improvements
(on average 26%) in six distinct elements of a child's "environment
learning cycle". These elements — awareness, concern,
action, knowledge, understanding, responsibility — bear
a striking resemblance to key strands of active citizenship within
the National Curriculum. The research identifies furthermore the
fact that children with the greatest need showed the most significant
improvement.
Good practice 2
A number of Groundwork Trusts have developed
a framework for a teacher-training programme designed to help
schools deliver citizenship and education for sustainable development.
For example, Groundwork Stoke-on-Trent and Groundwork Ashfield
& Mansfield have brought together expertise from around Groundwork
to produce a toolkit on ESD to help staff deliver Inset training
to teachers. The methodology involves supporting participating
teachers as they design and deliver practical projects within
their own schools. Projects include zoning playgrounds to provide
new opportunities for constructive play, developing a vegetable
garden to promote healthy eating and looking at new ways of using
the local environment as an educational resource.
1.2 The consultants who undertook the review
concluded that this project activity delivers significant added
value to schools and society in two ways. Firstly, it impacts
on the achievement of learning outcomes, contributing to the delivery
of core curriculum subjects and developing knowledge and understanding.
Secondly, it helps to change behaviour, combat exclusion and promote
active citizenship.
1.3 Groundwork believes that the full potential
of ESD to support educational outcomes but also deliver the Government's
objectives in a range of fields is not currently being realised.
This may be explained by the fact that ESD does not have the status
of a subject. As a result there are no ESD departments in schools,
timetabled slots with the title of ESD are rare, there are no
Advanced Skills Teachers and little provided in terms of ITT or
CPD for existing teachers.
1.4 While some contend that ESD needs to
develop to subject status within the National Curriculum in order
to realise its potential, there is an alternative view that its
cross-curricular characteristics are so critical that some aspects
of subject status would undermine its essential holistic nature.
1.5 Some would argue that because ESD is
mentioned within the curriculum, albeit not as a discrete subject,
young people are nevertheless being exposed to it. This statement
raises the pedagogic issue of comparisons between explicit and
implicit learning. It is still very much open to debate whether
learners can make connections between learning achieved across
different subject areas and so it could be argued that ESD should
be further developed in a way which provides opportunities for
both explicit and implicit learning.
1.6 The issue of curriculum access is vital
for those organisations engaged in delivering ESD. Traditionally,
the route into the Curriculum has been through Science and Geography
with smaller potential in Design and Technology. The advent of
Citizenship is an important development and it is crucial that
this subject develops in a way that supports ESD delivery.
1.7 There are those who claim that Citizenship
already has ample scope to cover the learning outcomes of ESD.
There is no doubt that ESD issues are touched upon in the statutory
orders for Citizenship. However if Citizenship is to develop in
a way that more fully embraces and delivers the principles of
sustainability, then there is a clear need to integrate further
within it the concept of "Global Citizenship" or, perhaps
more appropriately, "citizenship in a global context".
1.8 However it is linked to the curriculum,
promoting the effective and widespread delivery of ESD is clearly
in the interests of schools and DfES as it provides hands-on applications
for curriculum subjects and helps to raise standards. For example,
the cross-curricular learning and skills achieved by children
at Chantry School in Kent as a result of Groundwork Kent Thames-side's
involvement was recognised by OFSTED as having played an integral
part in the school being taken out of special measures.
1.9 To date, however, the department's contributions
towards promoting and developing effective ESD delivery have been
at best limited. Both the Growing Schools initiative, a partnership
between DfES and DEFRA, and the possibility of an ESD Beacon School
being established, are welcome developments. However, both are
necessarily limited in terms of the scope of their activity and
the number of schools they involve.
1.10 Since ESD is not the focus of OFSTED
inspections except as a small element within subject areas there
is also no compelling need at present for schools to commit themselves
to the robust provision of ESD. What we have ended up with, therefore,
is a network of voluntary groups, private sector sponsors and
committed teachers working to deliver ESD with limited funding
and minimal statutory support. With more support from DfES the
benefits of their often tireless work could be made available
to many thousands more children.
1.11 Groundwork is currently able to contribute
around £5 million per year to its work supporting schools.
Although a significant investment, there is clearly much more
that could be done with increased funding to ensure that the benefits
of community-centred experiential learning are realised by all
schools.
1.12 Moreover, much of this current educational
activity is delivered through short-term programmes utilising
funding gathered from a variety of sources. A more stable and
long-term funding environment would undoubtedly lead to greater
efficiencies in programme development and management, which in
turn would generate increased educational impact.
1.13 We believe that what the review of
Groundwork's educational activity concludes is also generally
true of a wide range of voluntary organisations active in the
field. Significant achievements are being made but, with leadership,
resources and co-ordination, DfES could substantially increase
the quantity and quality of this work. Schemes such as ENCAMS'
EcoSchools programme have the capacity to provide a framework
for co-ordinating a nationwide standard for ESD work in schools.
1.14 Recent years have seen significant
progress towards embracing sustainability as a guiding principle
within DEFRA, DfID and ODPM (most recently illustrated by its
Sustainable Communities programme) and in cross-departmental working.
This process needs to be mirrored within DfES. In this respect
the work of the Sustainable Development Education Panel is to
be commended and Groundwork looks forward to the draft strategy
being prepared as their five-year tenure comes to a close. We
urge Government to consult widely and interactively on this strategy
to maximise the inclusion of many diverse and experienced groups
and organisations. We also recommend that future arrangements
for taking forward the panel's work should be similarly inclusive.
ESD AND LIFELONG
LEARNING
2.1 ESD is also an important and valuable
component in lifelong learning. Groundwork has been developing
work with young people out of school and with adults aimed at
using practical environmental action as the focus for informal
personal development and more formalised learning and skills training.
Good practice 3
The Groundwork Millennium Awards provide free
training to community members to help them make a difference to
the quality of life in their neighbourhood. The training offered
ranges from practical environmental skills such as fence building
and landscaping to learning how to run a voluntary group, raise
funds and publicise achievements. The Awards have been supported
by a grant of over £1m of National Lottery funding from the
Millennium Commission. Participants on the scheme take part in
a week-long residential course and are supported by a mentor both
during the course and for the following six months. The Basic
Skills Agency has supported the Groundwork Millennium Awards by
providing £30,000 per year over three years. Each participant
has their skill level assessed and a personal action plan drawn
up in consultation with their mentor. Those requiring basic skills
support are offered additional training with a learning support
co-ordinator.
2.2. There is enormous scope for building
on this and other environmental training programmes to help ESD
become a practical tool for community-based learning with the
potential to bring long-term benefits for individuals and their
communities.
2.3 Again DfES has the opportunity to ensure
that ESD provides a set of core sustainability principles for
many of those organisations and agencies (eg Connexions, Learning
and Skills Councils) working to support people through the different
stages of lifelong learning. One major step forward in this regard
is the recently launched Foundation Certificate in Sustainable
Development which was developed in partnership between Groundwork,
the Environment Agency, the Black Environment Network and NCFE,
one of the country's fastest-growing awarding bodies. It is the
first ever qualification in sustainable development to be approved
by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and admitted onto
the National Qualifications Framework. This should be a tool utilised
by the Government to champion learning in the sustainable development
field.
2.4 One obvious way in which learning about
sustainable development can deliver benefits to individuals and
to society is by making direct links between ESD and vocational
training.
IMPROVING EMPLOYABILITY
3.1 There is increasing evidence to demonstrate
that the social enterprise and "green collar" sectors
will be key economic growth areas over the first few decades of
the new century. Groundwork's Intermediate Labour Markets (ILMs)
are geared towards preparing unemployed young people to play a
role in these growing sectors by providing training in growth
sectors such as energy efficiency, recycling, amenity management
and green tourism.
Good practice 4
EnProve, is a social enterprise wholly owned
by Groundwork Ashfield & Mansfield and which has for the past
four years operated an Intermediate Labour Market scheme where
long-term unemployed people are recruited to undertake work to
improve energy efficiency and home security measures as well as
develop other enterprise ideas such as computer recycling. Around
50% of participants move into full time work as a result. EnProve
has also run an information and referral scheme on behalf of the
Health Authority and Local Authorities in Nottingham, which provided
training and advice enabling professionals such as GPs, health
visitors, Environmental Health Officers, midwives and others,
to identify the signs of fuel poverty and assist people in accessing
the wide range of grants on offer. This work was recognised by
the Energy Sector in 2002 through the award of a HENRY (Home Energy
Rater of the Year) by the NHER.
MAKING BUSINESS
SUSTAINABLE
4.1 As well as delivering new skills for
a future workforce, ESD is also an important vehicle for supporting
current enterprise and business success. All of Groundwork's activities
with business are built around enabling companies to make more
informed choices about their practices to support sustainable
development. For example, business clubs enable companies to learn
from each other about the benefits sustainable development can
bring while environmental health-checks delivered by Groundwork's
own business support staff are conducted alongside company representatives
to help companies build up their own body of knowledge.
4.2 Groundwork's environmental business
services teams also offer formal training to help companies achieve
accredited qualifications and increase profitability. Groundwork's
courses are accredited by national bodies CIEH (Chartered Institute
of Environmental Health), IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management
and Assessment) and CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental
Management). They have led to 1,000 people gaining new qualifications
and demand is increasing. Groundwork is exploring ways of expanding
delivery across the country so that we can help businesses in
every region to thrive.
4.3 There is also a key role to be played
here by Regional Development Agencies, who should ensure that
the statutory duty of promoting sustainable development is fully
integrated into their regional economic strategies by prioritising
environmental learning within their business support programmes.
Programmes such as DIRECT (see good practice box below) have proved
popular and successful and there is huge scope to see such activities
replicated in other regions.
Good Practice 5
The Direct Programme is a two-year ESF funded
programme in the West Midlands involving four Groundwork Trusts,
the Environment Agency, local authority LA 21 Coordinators and
the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
(CIWEM). It was designed to increase the competitiveness and reduce
the environmental and social impact of businesses in the West
Midlands through awareness seminars, on-site support and a practical
environmental management (PEM) training programme. The PEM programme
consists of six half-day sessions covering areas such as waste,
pollution prevention, legislation, Local Agenda 21 and environmental
management systems. Over the course of the programme delegates
have to build up a portfolio of practical activity in the workplace
that, along with a short exam, goes towards their course accreditation.
The delegates also receive one day of in-house support when a
member of Groundwork's environmental business services team gives
them help and advice to resolve company-specific issues and take
the business forward. So far 1,100 delegates have attended awareness
seminars with more than 200 delegates undertaking the PEM programme.
CONCLUSION
5.1 Education for Sustainable Development
has the potential to be a key driver for a range of current and
future government targets, raising school standards and contributing
to citizenship, youth work, regeneration, employability and enterprise.
At the moment, however, it is not being effectively championed
within Government. In particular its potential is undervalued
by DfES and the links between ESD and vocational skills have not
been fully grasped elsewhere in Whitehall or by agencies, such
as LSCs, who view ESD as a `desirable extra' rather than an integral
element of their core operation.
5.2 Moreover, if sustainable development
principles are to be at the heart of the Government's strategy
for delivering community regeneration and thriving regions, then
there is a clear need to ensure that DTI and the RDAs are fully
committed to ensuring that strategies for learning, skills and
enterprise take full account of environmental considerations.
5.3 Groundwork believes that, with greater
leadership and support for those involved in its delivery, ESD
could offer a powerful and effective vehicle for improving the
prospects of individuals from cradle to grave. Innovations such
as the Foundation Certificate in Sustainable Development (see
2.3) are helping to demystify the concept of sustainable development
and demonstrating its applicability to schoolchildren, jobseekers
and business leaders alike. The task now is to capitalise on such
work and ensure that ESD is incorporated into all aspects of learning.
5.4 Last year's World Summit on Sustainable
Development provided another opportunity to refocus the attention
of the world and its governments on the vital connections between
people, places and prosperity and the need to address hardship
in a way which lays the foundations for a more sustainable future.
Groundwork has successfully combined learning, regeneration and
sustainability for 21 years. We would be pleased to share our
experience of what works across Government to ensure that this
opportunity isn't missed.
February 2003
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