At Bugle School, a primary serving a Cornish community with relatively high levels of deprivation, staff redesigned classrooms with natural materials, softer lighting and sensory spaces, and took more learning outdoors. Fixed-term suspensions have fallen to a fraction of their previous level. Staff describe children who cannot settle finding calm in the new sensory spaces or out in the grounds engaging with nature.

Bugle is one of ten schools in new research from University College London, commissioned by Let’s Go Zero. Across them and a survey of 377 staff, UCL identified 129 distinct benefits beyond cutting carbon, many on priorities councils already carry: SEND, behaviour, the cost of living and community cohesion. The gains grow with sustained support, and separate research from the University of York finds heads count their local authority among sources they trust. Councils are well placed to help schools start.

Calmer, more confident pupils

Nine in ten staff (89%) said their school had become a more comfortable, engaging place to learn and work, and the same share saw pupils adopting healthier lifestyles. Schools in the most deprived areas reported these benefits as often as others. Nearly all (93%) said pupils were developing transferable skills such as leadership and teamwork, and at The High School Leckhampton in Gloucestershire, pupils say acting “stops that climate anxiety from looking in”.

At Lenthall Infant and Nursery School in Derbyshire, where over 40% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, children awaiting special school places "seek those outdoor spaces" when the classroom becomes too much. The headteacher reports “an influx of parents” bringing children with SEND because they know it is “an area where they can thrive”. At King Edward VI Academy in rural Lincolnshire, a gardening club drew in a pupil who struggles socially. “I’ve known her an entire time here,” said the sustainability lead, “and it’s sort of the most open I’ve seen her with others.”

Savings for schools and families

Two thirds (67%) said their school had saved money, and UCL notes savings on energy, water and consumables tend to recur. Brindishe Green Primary in Lewisham earned £35,000 recycling old IT equipment. At King Edward VI, where around 46% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, the headteacher likens reinvesting energy savings to “compounding interest”.

Some families save too. At Bugle and Lenthall, schemes pass on food, clothing and household items, and 71% of parents answering a survey at another school said they use its uniform recycling service. Staff say framing it as sustainability has eased the stigma of “being seen to need hand-me-downs”.

Stronger communities

Four in five (79%) reported stronger connections with parents, local businesses and councils. Pupils at The High School Leckhampton have presented funding proposals to their council, one school cleared overgrown paths with its parish council, and another turned wasted land into a community garden that shares its vegetables locally. At Hollinswood Primary in Telford, where around half of pupils speak English as an additional language, the headteacher describes new families who “literally know no one” finding “school becomes a hub”.

The gains grow with support

UCL found benefits are strongest where climate action is embedded over time, as visible improvements pull in more participation and ripple out into households and neighbourhoods. They call support from organisations such as Let’s Go Zero “critical”, and climate action in schools “a high-value, system-level intervention”.

A trusted local voice

York’s study shows why climate action remains a low priority for many headteachers. They want to act but lack the time and technical know-how. They trust advice from people who know the school system and their area, including their local authority, and want to hear what has worked elsewhere. The ten school snapshots give you those examples, free to use with heads, governors and members.

Work with us

Let’s Go Zero’s Climate Action Advisors give schools free, tailored support in every region of England, including developing and supporting delivery of climate action plans as well as finding and access funding. Councils including Brighton & Hove, Bury, Cornwall, Durham, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Southwark, Warwickshire and West Sussex already back the campaign as official supporters. In Sheffield, our advisors have helped schools in the council’s Built for Change programme build climate action plans alongside providing technical expertise on new protections from extreme weather.

We can run workshops for your schools, take referrals for one-to-one support, or start with a conversation about your area’s priorities. Email letsgozero@ashden.org.