How sustainability projects are improving learning facilities for our future climate custodians

We visited the two schools in the West Midlands to see how decarbonisation works are progressing.

Students and staff at Kingsway Primary School in Warwickshire and The Polesworth School in Staffordshire will soon be benefitting from sustainability upgrades to their facilities.

Community Academies Trust, which runs the schools, is working towards a net zero target aligning with the UK’s 2050 ambition. The trust is also responsible for an additional 15 schools with its full portfolio comprising of 14 primary and three secondary schools.

We were on site to see how works are progressing at both schools and to discuss challenges and opportunities faced by the trust during its first Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project.

Olly Hannon, our client support officer who is working with the trust, said: “It was great to visit the schools and see how works are progressing and to discuss the difference the completed projects will make for the local community.

“As well as offering an opportunity to see the low carbon technology in action, site visits provide us with the chance to meet some of the passionate people driving these incredible projects.”

To support the £2.6 million project, the trust was awarded £1.8 million in funding through Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. We deliver funding for this scheme on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Kingsway Primary School supports a community of more than 300 pupils aged from five to 11. Located in Leamington Spa, the school prides itself on its commitment to creating a caring and nurturing environment that generates a strong impact on outcomes for all children. 

At the school, works focus on the removal of a gas-fired boiler in place of an air source heat pump for heating and hot water. Roof insulation will also be fitted to support heat retention and solar panels will be installed to support the increased electrical demand of the heat pump. 

Polesworth School is a secondary school supporting 1,470 students aged from 11-18. Located in Dordon, near Tamworth, the school supports more than 230 sixth form pupils, providing vital lessons to prepare students for university and higher education.

At Polesworth, the project will remove old, fossil fuel boilers at three of the teaching blocks: Goodere, Editha and Tomlinson. Additional energy efficiency measures were incorporated at Tomlinson Block, where secondary glazing, dry wall lining and roof insulation was being installed. 

The trust expects that the upgrades will support an optimal education experience for students by ensuring the comfort of the space in which they do their learning. This is particularly important, it says, at the Tomlinson Block where sixth form students are based.

Allan Ravenscroft, trust estate manager, said: “The air source heat pumps and upgraded heat distribution will improve the comfort for pupils and staff alike.

“In particular, we are looking forward to feedback from the users of the building and believe new ceiling mounted fan convectors will give a much-improved heat distribution to the classrooms… no more arguing who sits next to the radiator on those cold winter mornings!”

However, the project has not been without its challenges. The estate comprises buildings of different ages, with spaces originally designed for gas-based systems and asbestos management requirements. 

Additional challenges arose at Polesworth when staff encountered electrics that were not expected from the pre-works site surveys. Although this has meant the building isn’t ready for the start of term as initially expected, the trust has made alternative arrangements at other buildings to allow contractors to complete the works without further delay with teaching and learning unaffected.

The trust is also confident that the positive outcomes and benefits provided by the upgrades will far outweigh challenges encountered during the works.

Allan added: “The project has been challenging, with works being arranged around two live schools. 

“However, we expect that, as the years pass, the benefits of the new installations will continue and the memories of the challenging installation will be forgotten.”

When complete, energy experts estimate the works at both locations will reduce the trust’s carbon footprint by 266.63 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. A 266.63 tonne reduction in emissions is equivalent to the annual emissions for 42 UK households or driving 666,575 miles in an average petrol car – a distance that could get you from London to Cape Town 80 times*!

Although the works comprise of the trust’s first Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project, the trust has a strong history of completing sustainability works. This includes through self-funded measures and alternative schemes such as the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund (SEEF). Funding through this scheme has been praised by officials and recipients alike as the foundation upon which many organisations took their first steps to the decarbonisation of their estate. 

Allan added: “Our current projects at The Polesworth School and Kingsway Community Primary build on our successful relationship with Salix allowing us to deliver LED replacement projects and obtain heat decarbonisation plans across the trust.”

Olly Hannon, our client support officer, said: “The trust is incredibly passionate about sustainability and playing their part by undertaking works that contribute towards its net zero goals.”

About the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund

First launched in 2015 in partnership with the Department for Education, the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund delivered loan-based funding for energy efficiency works at individual academies, academy sixth forms, free schools and multi-academy trusts.

Across the scheme, funding of more than £34.7 million was provided for 603 projects which are forecast to save 17,103 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

The funding, which we deliver on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was used to support the installation of energy efficiency measures to enable academy buildings to become warmer, brighter, healthier and nicer places to work, learn and play.

Read more about the achievements of the projects in our scheme closure celebratory story.

* Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix. The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis. The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and justifications used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected].