The path to neutrality & Accreditation
A flexible & outcomes focused process which complements your existing accreditations & authorizations.
Differentiate yourselves.
timeline
Sustainable Journey. Accredited Benefits.
Fast track, slow track
& everything between!
For schools who have already been working towards carbon neutrality we have a Fast Track route to achieving full Accredited Status within 2 years of initial application. Schools who have more work to do can use up to 6 years to achieve full Accredition.
Whatever your situation & dreams we can support you on your journey. Click the tabs above to explore the journey ahead!
Applying to become an Associate Member
When you have decided that you wish to start the application process we will work with you to ensure that you know what you are getting into and that our Mission’s are aligned. We’ll need you to share information about your school with us & we’ll carry out a series of short online conversations with your community leaders.
Associate Members are working
towards Membership
Associate Members spend between 6 and 18 months working towards achieving Member status. This is a collaborative process in which your school will mork with one of our consultants to develop an ambitions, yet realistic, Action Plan which you will use to guide your jouney to full Accreditation.
Members are on the road to full Accreditation
This is where the real change happens. With the support of our consultant, your school will enter a cyclical process of Action and Review that can last between 1 – 4 years. When your school is ready you will apply for accreditation.
Mission driven operations & pedagogy
Accredited Members have nothing more to prove but a great deal still to gain. Our 3 year development cycle is designed to support Accredited Schools on their further development and improvement by helping them deeply aligning their operations, Mission & Pedagogy.
Some frequently asked timeline questions, answered…
Is there a quick way to become 'Accredited' if our school has done all the work?
Yes. Our Fast Track programme is designed for schools who are close to carbon neutrality or for new schools who have been designed with carbon neutrality in mind.
Contact us for more information.
What if we 'fail' our accreditation visit?
Our consultants will only recommend that you move forwards to the next stage when they are confident that your school will be successful. However, if something significant does appear in the visit we will ask you to address these matters before final review.
How do I find out more?
Just contact us and we will get in touch and answer any questions you may have.
consultancy
Action. But what Action?
Providing you with the knowledge & expertise to get it right
Our Consultants will:
Listen
We will listen to your team rather than apply our own preconceptions. By hearing the issues that you face we will better understand the possible solutions.
Research
Using this understanding, we will research the best options avasilable in your context and come up with a range of ideas and options that will make a difference.
Learn
We will learn about your unique context. From the details of your operational systems through to the local reguations and opportunities that exist.
Recommend
We won’t just talk. We will make concrete recommendations that will be aligned with your Mission. We will work with you to build a coherent Action Plan from these recommendations that will get you where you need to go.
Associate members
Associate Member School
Applying for membership and becoming a member school
Transparent Goals & High Levels of Support
Preparing your school for the process
The Associate Member phase is all about preparing your school for the journey ahead, making sure everyone is on board and that both the goal and the action plan is agreed and transparent.
Take a look at our ‘Targets & Goals’ section for more detail.
Frequently asked questions around Associate Membership, answered…
How long does it usually take to be come a full member?
The short answer is 6 to 18 months.
The full answer can be found in the timeline section at the top of the page.
What happens if our application is not approved?
We have structured the process in such a way to do all we can to ensure that your application will be successful.
In the unlikely event that your application is rejected we will provide you with a clear outline of what you need to do in order to rectify the situation.
If, after this, we can still cannot find a resolution then we would ask you to withdraw you application and therefore your connection with our foundation would be ended.
How much does all of this cost?
There are two sets of charges. The first are Membership Fees which are paid to support our operations & Foundation. The other costs are attached to the consultancy support that we provide.
More can be found here.
What if we decide the authorization process is not for us?
The whole point of the Associate Member phase is to ensure that we are aligned. If for whatever reason you decide not to pursue your application then we will wish you all the very best in your journey.
Annual Fees and and fees associated with any services provided will not be refunded. Please refer to our Terms & Conditions document.
How do we contact you?
The easiest way is to send us a message using the form at the bottom of every page on this site.
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible but probably not immediately!
Targets & Goals for Associate Schools
School Internal Audit
We will provide you the online forms and spreadsheet you will need to complete to provide an accurate picture of your carbon footprint.
Audit Submission & Review
Your audit data will be submitted to us and our team will review and comment.
We will ask you to consider a set of key questions.
Audit Visit Preparation
Using our key guiding questions, your team will consider the outcomes of your internal audit. They will put together some ideas of how you would like to proceed.
Audit Visit
A member (or members) of our consulting team will visit your school. Using the data you have submitted we will conduct a full audit and evaluation.
Additionally, we will:
- Meet, present to & motivate all your key stakeholders,
- Answer any process questions that you may have,
- Hold confidential meetings with the school leadership and, if appropriate, the Board,
- Hold meetings to understand the perceived challenges & opportunities.
Audit Report & Action Suggestions
We will submit a full report to your school covering the following areas:
- A data driven carbon footprint analysis,
- Narrative comment on the analysis,
- A report on the visit itself,
- Reflections on the school’s discussed approach to accreditation,
- Concrete action suggestions to form the basis of the School Action Plan.
School Action Planning
Assisted by our planning tools, suggested actions and Action Plan Guidelines, your school engages in a stakeholder wide action planning process.
Action Plan Approval
After discussion with your consultant and any revisions suggested, the school will submit their action plan for approval.
We assume that we will be able to grant approval in the vast majority of cases.
Application for Member Status
The approved School Action Plan needs to be signed off by the school leadership team and school Board before the membership application is submitted.
Membership Granted
After reviewing your application we will decide if you are ready to move on the full Member Status.
Membership and Consultancy Costs
Our benchmarked and transparent Fee Structure is designed to be accessible and offers great value.
members schools
Member School Status
Member schools are working towards carbon neutrality & accreditation
An Action Plan that brings positive results
Achieving your goals
Working towards accredtation is where action is required. You will strive to implement your Action Pan and work to involve all of your stakeholders in this journey.
We will be there to support you every step of the way to ensure that you are successfully heading in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions around Associate Membership, answered…
How long does it usually take to be come an accredited member?
The short answer is usually between 1 to 4 years.
The full answer can be found in the timeline section at the top of the page.
How much does all of this cost?
There are two sets of charges. The first are Membership Fees which are paid to support our operations & Foundation. The other costs are attached to the consultancy support that we provide.
More can be found here.
What happens if we do not achieve accreditation?
We have structured the process in such a way to do all we can to ensure that when you apply for acceditation you will be ready to do so and therefore successful.
In the unlikely event that your application for accreditation is rejected we will provide you with a clear outline of what you need to do in order to rectify the situation. We will be as supportive oas possible.
If, after this, we can still cannot find a resolution then we would ask you to withdraw you application and therefore your connection with our foundation would be ended.
What if we decide the accreditation process is not for us?
If for whatever reason you decide not to continue membership of our foundation we would first sit down with you and see if there was a way that we could resolve the issues. If this was not possible, then we will wish you all the very best in your journey.
Annual Fees and and fees associated with any services provided will not be refunded. Please refer to our Terms & Conditions document.
How do we contact you?
The easiest way is to send us a message using the form at the bottom of every page on this site.
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible but probably not immediately!
Action Cycle
Action Plan Implementation
You will be involved in the process of implementing your agreed Action Plan. You will record progress, successes, challenges and achievements in your online action plan.
Support & Evaluation
We will be with you every step of the way.
Our consultant will offer supportive advice and we will regularly evaluate your progress to ensure that you are on target.
Update & Revision
Your Action Plan will need to be updated and revised in order to reflect the current situation.
Sometimes there is development in technology that means that your plans will need to be updated. We will advise and support on alterations.
Application for Accreditation
Accreditation Recommendation
After discussion with you and your team, our consultant will recommend that it is time to begin the accreditation process.
If the school agrees with this recommendation, you will move into the accreditation preparation phase.
Accreditation Preparation Visit
Our consultant will visit the school and check that everything is in place, take you through the accreditation process and help you ensure that you have a successful accreditation visit.
Additionally, we will:
- Meet, present to & motivate all your key stakeholders,
- Answer any process questions that you may have,
- Hold confidential meetings with the school leadership and, if appropriate, the Board.
Report & Action Suggestions
We will submit a full report to your school covering the following areas:
- Narrative comment on the analysis,
- A report on the visit itself,
- Reflections on the school’s discussed approach to accreditation,
- Concrete action suggestions to ensure the accreditation process is a positive one.
Accreditation Visit
We will visit the school and will:
- complete an audit of your operations and facilities
- review your Action Plan and triangulate observed outcomes with actions taken,
- meet with all concerned stakeholders and discuss findings.
Application Evaluation
We will evaluate the visit report and the associated documentation to decide if the school has reached the benchmark where it can be considered an Accredited Carbon Neutral School.
Accredited Member Status Granted
Assuming a successful evaluation, the foundation will grant your school Accredited Member status.
Time to have a party!
accredited members
Accredited Carbon Neutral School
Enjoy all of the benefits of being an accredited carbon neutral school
A powerful, continuous improvement cycle
Achieving your goals
Working towards accredtation is where action is required. You will strive to implement your Action Pan and work to involve all of your stakeholders in this journey.
We will be there to support you every step of the way to ensure that you are successfully heading in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions around Associate Membership, answered…
How long does it usually take to be come an accredited member?
The short answer is usually between 1 to 4 years.
The full answer can be found in the timeline section at the top of the page.
Is accreditation the end of the journey?
Not at all. By the time you have become an accredited school it will be clear to you and your organisation the myriad of opportunities that lay ahead of you.
We will be there to support you.
What if our accredited membership lapses?
Your accredited member status will only lapse in two scenarios. Firstly, if you fail to pay the fees associated with membership or, secondly, if the 3 Year Visit highlights significant areas that need to be addressed that you then have failed to address.
In both scenarios, we will work with your school to solve any issues that occur.
What if we decide the continued membership is not for us?
First of all, we would strive to resolve any open issues. If this was not possible, then we will wish you all the very best on your journey.
Annual Fees and and fees associated with any services provided will not be refunded. Please refer to our Terms & Conditions document.
How do we contact you?
The easiest way is to send us a message using the form at the bottom of every page on this site.
We’ll get back to you as soon as possible but probably not immediately!
Action Cycle
Action Plan Implementation
You will be involved in the process of implementing your agreed Action Plan. You will record progress, successes, challenges and achievements in your online action plan.
Support & Evaluation
We will be with you every step of the way.
Our consultant will offer supportive advice and we will regularly evaluate your progress to ensure that you are on target.
Update & Revision
Your Action Plan will need to be updated and revised in order to reflect the current situation.
Sometimes there is development in technology that means that your plans will need to be updated. We will advise and support on alterations.
Application for Accreditation
Visit Preparation
You will ensure that everthing is in order and ready for the 3 year visit to successfully take place.
3 Year Visit
A member (or members) of our consulting team will visit your school. Using the data you have submitted we will conduct a full audit and evaluation.
Additionally, we will:
- Meet, present to & motivate all your key stakeholders,
- Answer any process questions that you may have,
- Hold confidential meetings with the school leadership and, if appropriate, the Board,
- Hold meetings to understand the perceived challenges & opportunities.
Support & Evaluation
We will be with you every step of the way.
Our consultant will offer supportive advice and we will regularly evaluate your progress to nsure that you are on target.
