Goodbye and thank you...
As the school year draws to a close, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to the 40 incredible schools that have participated in the Energy Heroes programme this year! Your staff and students have been a true inspiration and set a wonderful example of how schools can successfully integrate sustainability into their primary curriculum.
We wholeheartedly believe in the potential of children as future change-makers and have witnessed how the Energy Heroes programme effectively equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to build confidence and transform climate anxiety into positive action. Thank you for being part of this powerful movement for change!
What some of our schools said about Energy Heroes…
“ Very engaging, Children used fraction and percentage skills. Links to Maths has helped children with their understanding.”
Year 5 teacher, Beechwood Primary School
The Energy Heroes work has “Given an insight into energy use and how they can make a change.”
Year 5 teacher, Birkenshaw Primary School
Pupils were “Really engaged in pie chart discussion and developed understanding of fractions and comparing.”
The work has enabled a “Better understanding of the urgency of the issue and how small changes can make a big difference.”
Year 5 teacher, Birley Primary School
What Makes Energy Heroes Unique?
It’s FREE to all primary schools in Yorkshire the North East and North Lincolnshire
It provides context-rich maths resources, including lesson plans, activity ideas and presentations
It is linked firmly to National Curriculum Maths objectives and the White Rose Maths scheme
It provides flexible, bespoke support for schools to fulfil the DFE sustainability and climate strategy
It offers two in-person visits to every school from our expert team, plus ongoing support
It’s fun and inspiring!
And it’s really easy to sign up- click here for our booking form
What is an Energy Hero?
What does the programme offer?
Flexible support
Our Energy Heroes team collaborates with schools to shape the programme to meet your school’s needs and interpret how our free resources can best support you and your pupils.
From next year, schools will be offered a selection of activities to choose from, relating to the main maths programme. As part of the programme, all schools are offered a second visit when they can choose from one of the following options:
- An Energy Heroes Expert teacher to deliver a second lesson
- An Eco-team workshop to further develop the energy audit into an action plan, discussing how they can make change, who can help them achieve their goals and how to reach out to those who can help them to achieve their goals.
- · An Energy Heroes expert working with adults in the schools, such as the site manager and business manager, looking to find ways to reduce the school’s energy consumption and considering more sustainable options for energy infrastructure.
Pupils as change makers
The Energy Heroes programme is fueled by the belief that children have the ability, passion and power to create positive change. As the mental health crisis amongst our young people escalates, we are inspired to provide the knowledge, skills, resources and support that children need to build self-esteem, overcome challenges, take control of their lives and feel empowered to take action for positive personal and social change.
The Energy Heroes programme further supports children to transform this into action within their school and families enabling reduction of energy consumption and to inspire the wider community to take on the baton.
Supporting schools with the DfE sustainability and climate strategy
Energy Heroes is here to provide schools with support to deliver on the DfE climate and sustainability strategy, by
- Increasing the confidence and expertise of staff and pupils through learning and practical experience in understanding climate change, energy efficiency, global warming and how positive change can be achieved
- Working alongside each school to develop the role of the Sustainability Lead
- Guiding the children to develop a detailed action plan that fits your education setting, This action plan is designed to reduce energy consumption, investigate potential to improve energy infrastructure and to develop other sustainability initiatives.
Context rich maths
Energy Heroes is unique because it is designed to deliver on primary National Curriculum objectives whilst supporting schools to embed sustainability. Our main maths programme offers free resources to primary schools based on year 5 maths objectives, covering statistics relating to UK energy use, costing and usage of home energy appliances, developing calculation skills with all four operations and developing reasoning and problem-solving skills.
Other curriculum areas
As well as our main maths programme, we offer lesson plans and resources in other subject areas such as English, Science, Geography, Art and D&T. There is also a wealth of resources to support activities in extra curricular clubs such as Brownies, Scouts and after-school clubs.
Decades of expertise
Our team has decades of experience in primary education and sustainability alongside energy advice expertise. We are passionate about the role that schools and young people can play in making a more just and sustainable world. We are here to support schools to become an inspiration to others in the wider community about what can be achieved.
How do we provide energy advice?
We offer all schools that sign up two visits.
During our first visit, we provide your school with an audit conducted by a group of pupils, assisted by one of our team members. The pupils then reflect on their findings and develop action points: three related to energy use in the school and two more focused on general sustainability or environmental issues.
Schools then have a choice of options for their second visit, allowing them to focus in greater detail on either integrating sustainability into the curriculum, reducing school energy consumption, or supporting pupils as agents of change.
As a result of the Energy Heroes programme, pupils and staff collaborate to set and achieve targets for energy reduction. Our expert team can recommend suitable retrofitting options and upgrades to further reduce energy use in school.
A few more testimonials from some of our schools this year…
The work helped pupils to deepen their understanding of energy and climate change because they could-
“Relate to the wider community Global issues, by making it real.”
Year 5 teacher, Healey Primary School.
The work helped pupils to develop skills by-
“Understanding the impact our energy use is having, knowing the different ways energy can be produced, and seeing the ways they can change it.”
Year 5 teacher, Topcliffe Primary Academy
The work helped pupils engage in mathematics because it
“Links in well with our statistics topic coming up shortly.”
Year 5 teacher, Walton Primary School.
