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NSW Department of Education and Training

Curriculum support for NSW Public Schools

School Environment Management Plans

School Environment Management Plan (SEMP ) should include:                     

  • The schools major environmental objectives
  • Sub-committee recommendations for achieving these objectives through Curriculum, School resources and School Grounds
  • Audit Results and Action Plans specific for major objectives eg Paper, Resource use, Energy, Water 
  • Reviews of actions                             

Seven steps to a SEMP 

* Form an Environmental Management Committee comprising representatives from the school's administration, teachers, students, canteen staff, general assistants, cleaners and parents.

* Determine and record your Major Environmental Objectives   e.g. adopt sustainable management practice, improve the physical nature of the school grounds etc

* Form a sub-committee for each of the following areas:

  • Curriculum
  • Management of resources, and
  • Management of school grounds

These sub-committees outline to how each of the major environmental objectives will be addressed by each of their areas.    
This will form the basis of your School Environment Management Plan or (SEMP)  
For the curriculum group addressing major environmental objectives should be:

  • Cross-curricular
  • Based on principals of Quality Teaching
  • Teaching & Learning and Assessment focussed
  • Student action/research based
  • Contextual with the school and its environment

* Teacher and students investigate the major environmental objectives initially by:

  • Conducting an environmental audit                                        Resources Audit
  • Preparing an Plan                                                               Action Plan     

* Action plans are submitted to the School Environmental Management Committee the make up another section of the SEMP.    The School Environmental Management Committee can Prioritise and integrate the Action Plans into the SEMP

* Teachers and Students - research and investigate solutions and implement suitable strategies from the Action Plan

* Student’s record improvements or change and report this back to the School Environment Management Committee, who will incorporate the evaluation into the Annual School Report.  The progress is reported against the SEMP and new priorities may be identified

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