Are you wondering how to make your school more sustainable without creating an overwhelming amount of extra work for teachers?
Sustainability in primary schools does not need to begin with an expensive building project or a completely new curriculum. Small, purposeful changes can help children understand the environment, reduce waste, protect biodiversity and recognise that their actions can make a genuine difference.
In this episode of The Muddy Puddle Teacher® Podcast, Sarah speaks with multi-award-winning environmental educator Edd Moore about creating greener schools and embedding environmental learning throughout school life.
When the episode was recorded, Edd had spent around ten years developing environmental education in primary schools. He had helped transform his school’s environmental work from a blank canvas into an approach recognised through national awards, while supporting pupils to take an active role in sustainability. The episode was released on 14 July 2022 and lasts approximately 16 minutes.
Since then, Edd has continued working as an environmental education consultant and author. His work now supports schools, multi-academy trusts, universities and organisations seeking to place climate action and sustainability at the heart of learning.
LIsten to this podcast now – Sustainable Schools by Edd Moore
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Meet the Guest
Who Is Edd Moore?
Edd Moore is an award-winning environmental educator, author, consultant and former primary teacher.
He has more than a decade of experience helping schools embed sustainability into their curriculum, culture and wider community. His work has included developing climate strategies, supporting Eco-Schools Green Flag applications, delivering staff training, mentoring schools and helping children lead environmental action.
Edd describes his approach as helping schools move sustainability from an occasional project into a core part of school life. His professional journey has included transforming a UK primary school into a highly recognised Eco-School and working internationally as a primary teacher and curriculum coordinator at Green School Bali.
Schools supported by Edd have achieved recognition including Eco-Schools Primary Eco School of the Year, Surfers Against Sewage Schools Champion and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots awards. In 2023, Edd was named one of the Coronation Champions for his environmental work, and in 2024 he received the Foundation for Environmental Education’s Teacher of the Year Award.
Today, Edd works through Eco Edd, supporting schools and organisations with climate action strategies, environmental education, Green Flag development, staff training and practical resources.
Visit Edd Moore Online
Edd’s website contains information about his environmental education work, school support, climate action planning, training, consultancy and publications.
This page shares Edd’s professional background, achievements, publications and experience supporting greener schools.
Edd regularly shares school sustainability ideas, environmental education updates, projects, partnerships and examples of climate action.
The Eco Edd Facebook page shares environmental education news, practical ideas and updates about Edd’s work.
Edd Moore’s Book
100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Greener School
Edd is the author of 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Greener School, published by Bloomsbury Education in September 2025.
The book contains practical, teacher-friendly ideas designed to help schools develop their Climate Action Plans and embed sustainability throughout the year. It connects with areas including litter, marine life, biodiversity, energy, school grounds and transport. (Bloomsbury Publishing)
It also explores ways schools can reduce waste, save money, create practical campaigns and empower children to participate in positive environmental change.
The book includes a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall DBE and has been supported by organisations connected to school climate action and environmental education.
Buy 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Greener School
What Does a Sustainable School Look Like?
A sustainable school does more than recycle paper or hold an annual eco-day.
Sustainability becomes part of how the school learns, purchases, travels, uses energy, manages waste, cares for its grounds and involves children in decision-making.
This does not mean every school needs to achieve everything immediately.
A more sustainable school may begin by reducing unnecessary waste, improving habitats, examining energy use or helping pupils investigate an environmental issue that affects their community.
The important difference is that children are not simply told to care for the planet.
They are given meaningful opportunities to understand an issue, make decisions, take action and evaluate what happened.
Sustainability becomes stronger when it is visible in everyday school life rather than restricted to one topic or eco-club.
Explore our Outdoor Learning in Primary Schools Guide and KS2 Sustainability Ideas.
How Can Schools Begin Their Sustainability Journey?
The first stage is to understand what is already happening.
Schools often have more environmental work taking place than they initially realise.
A class may be growing food, the caretaker may be reducing energy use, pupils may be collecting litter or staff may already be teaching habitats, materials and climate-related topics.
Bring these actions together before launching something completely new.
Ask what the school currently does well, where resources are being wasted, which issues matter to pupils and what change feels realistic.
The school could then choose one priority rather than attempting to tackle every environmental issue at once.
This might be waste, biodiversity, energy, water, transport, food or improving the school grounds.
Edd’s current school-support offer includes climate strategy and action planning, Green Flag mentoring, curriculum-linked workshops and whole-school environmental education.
Sustainability Should Not Become Another Subject
Teachers already have a demanding curriculum.
Sustainability should not be added as an isolated subject that creates another set of plans and assessments.
Instead, it can provide a meaningful context for curriculum learning.
English can involve persuasive letters, environmental debate, information texts, campaign materials and poetry inspired by nature.
Maths can include energy data, waste audits, transport surveys, measurement and calculating reductions.
Science can explore plants, habitats, materials, electricity, food chains and environmental change.
Geography can include climate, natural resources, land use, local environments and human impact.
Design and technology can involve repairing, reusing, redesigning and creating practical solutions.
Art, computing, PSHE and citizenship can all contribute to environmental understanding and action.
Edd’s book is designed to help teachers weave sustainability across school life rather than treat it as a short-lived add-on. (Bloomsbury Publishing)
How Can Children Lead Environmental Change?
Children should not be passive recipients of environmental messages.
They can investigate problems, gather evidence, suggest solutions, communicate with decision-makers and evaluate whether their actions worked.
A pupil-led approach might begin with children noticing that large amounts of food are wasted at lunchtime.
They could measure the waste, interview staff, identify possible causes and develop a campaign or new system.
Another group might investigate which areas of the school grounds support wildlife and recommend changes to improve biodiversity.
Children could also monitor energy use, examine packaging, consider school travel or communicate with local businesses.
The adult’s role is to provide knowledge, structure and safeguarding while ensuring children have genuine influence.
Edd’s work emphasises helping young people become active changemakers at school, at home and within their communities.
Two Simple Green School Activities
Complete a School Waste Investigation
Choose one manageable area of waste, such as paper, food packaging or classroom resources.
Ask pupils to observe what is being thrown away over a set period.
Children can count, weigh, classify or record the waste, depending on their age.
They can then identify why the waste occurs and suggest one realistic change.
The aim is not to make children feel guilty.
It is to help them use evidence, problem-solving and communication to improve a real situation.
After introducing the change, repeat the investigation and compare the results.
This can support maths, science, geography, English and pupil leadership.
Map Biodiversity in the School Grounds
Invite children to explore the school grounds and identify where plants, insects, birds and other living things are found.
They can create a simple map showing trees, planters, grass, cracks, hedges, damp areas, sunny areas and possible habitats.
Ask which parts support the greatest variety of life and which could be improved.
Children might suggest planting, creating small shelters, reducing disturbance or leaving part of the grounds less managed.
The investigation can be repeated across the seasons.
Find more practical ideas through our Biodiversity Outdoors Course.
Biodiversity in Primary Schools: A Whole-School Outdoor Learning Course
How Can Outdoor Learning Support Sustainability?
Outdoor learning allows children to experience the places and systems they are learning about.
A child can read about biodiversity, but observing insects around a familiar planter gives the idea a real context.
Pupils can investigate rainfall, shade, soil, habitats, materials, energy and human impact within their own grounds.
This helps environmental education feel relevant.
Children begin to understand that sustainability is not only about distant rainforests or oceans.
It is also about what happens within their school, street and community.
Outdoor learning can also make environmental action more hopeful.
Rather than presenting children with a series of frightening global problems, teachers can help them understand an issue and participate in a realistic response.
The Muddy Puddle Teacher® approach is strongly connected to sustainable practice because it encourages schools to use natural, recycled, reclaimed and reusable resources rather than continually buying new equipment.
Explore our Outdoor Learning Hub and Eco-School Outdoor Resources.
How Can Schools Avoid Eco-Anxiety?
Children may encounter worrying messages about climate change, pollution, habitat loss and the future of the planet.
Environmental education should be honest, but it also needs to be age-appropriate and action-focused.
Young children should not be made to feel personally responsible for solving complex global problems.
They need opportunities to understand what is happening, see adults taking responsibility and participate in changes appropriate to their age.
A hopeful approach does not mean pretending the problems are small.
It means balancing information with agency.
Children can be shown that people, communities, scientists, schools and organisations are working towards solutions.
They can also experience the satisfaction of improving something within their own environment.
Edd’s work focuses on helping children become informed and empowered to act rather than leaving them with environmental concern alone.
How Can Schools Create a Whole-School Eco Culture?
A sustainable school culture cannot depend entirely on one enthusiastic teacher.
Leaders, teachers, support staff, pupils, families and site teams all influence how the school operates.
Begin by agreeing a small number of shared priorities.
Staff need to understand why those priorities matter and how they connect to the curriculum and school development.
Children should have meaningful roles rather than being used only for posters and assemblies.
The site team and office staff may provide valuable insight into energy, purchasing, cleaning, waste and grounds management.
Families and community organisations may also have expertise or resources to contribute.
Celebrate progress, but remain honest about what still needs improvement.
A whole-school approach develops when sustainability becomes part of everyday decisions rather than the responsibility of the eco-coordinator alone.
Edd currently supports schools through climate action planning, Green Flag mentoring, staff training and whole-school sustainability development.
What Can Teachers Learn from Edd Moore?
Edd’s experience shows that sustainability can become a powerful source of curriculum learning, pupil leadership and community action.
His work also demonstrates that environmental education is most effective when it moves beyond awareness.
Children need opportunities to do something with what they learn.
They can investigate, design, campaign, improve, communicate and evaluate.
Edd also reminds schools that environmental progress can begin with ordinary resources and manageable changes.
A school does not need to become perfectly sustainable before starting.
It needs a clear priority, shared commitment and willingness to learn from what happens.
The 2022 podcast captures Edd’s practical classroom perspective, while his current consultancy and book provide schools with further support for turning those principles into a structured approach.
Listen to “Let’s Get Green with Edd Moore”
In this episode, Sarah and Edd discuss practical ways teachers can become greener and help their schools develop more sustainable approaches.
The conversation introduces Edd’s journey as a teacher and eco-coordinator and explores how schools can embed the environment into learning rather than treating it as an occasional project.
Listen to Let’s Get Green with Edd Moore
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Sustainable Schools FAQs
How can I make my school more sustainable?
Begin by reviewing what the school already does and choosing one realistic priority. This could involve waste, energy, biodiversity, transport, water, food or purchasing. Allow pupils to investigate the issue and help develop the response.
What is an eco-school?
An eco-school is a school that actively develops environmental learning and sustainable practices across its curriculum, operations and community. Many schools use the Eco-Schools framework and work towards Green Flag recognition.
Does sustainability need to be taught as a separate subject?
No. Sustainability can provide meaningful contexts for English, maths, science, geography, design and technology, PSHE, art and wider school projects.
How can children help make a school greener?
Children can complete audits, gather data, identify problems, suggest solutions, communicate campaigns and evaluate whether changes have worked. Their involvement should be genuine and suitable for their age.
How can schools teach climate change without frightening children?
Use honest, age-appropriate information and balance problems with solutions, collective responsibility and manageable action. Children should feel supported and empowered rather than personally responsible for solving the climate crisis.
Do schools need a large budget to become more sustainable?
No. Many useful changes involve reducing waste, changing routines, using existing resources, improving habitats and involving the community. Larger projects may require funding, but meaningful action can begin without major spending.
Can outdoor learning help schools become greener?
Yes. Outdoor learning helps children investigate habitats, natural resources, weather, waste and human impact within a real environment. It can also develop children’s connection with and care for the places around them.
Author
Written by Sarah Seaman BSc, PGCE, MA
Founder of The Muddy Puddle Teacher®, qualified teacher, Bloomsbury author and educational consultant supporting schools to develop practical, inclusive and sustainable outdoor learning.
