Leadership
©Yann Arthus-Bertrand www.yannarthusbertrand.org
‘More than 7000 cities in over 110 countries are locally implementing the principles of sustainable development laid out at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.’
Good leadership, from committed and informed senior mangers and governors is critical to the long term success of sustainability in schools.
The Leadership section explores the vision and benefits of a becoming a sustainable school, and how sustainable development can become the key delivery mechanism for whole school improvement.
“Ultimately, your leadership in a culture of change will be judged as effective or ineffective not by who you are as a leader, but by what leadership you produce in others.”
Michael Fullan (2001),’Leading in a culture of change’; Jossey Bass, San Francisco, Sustainable Development Strategy
At the heart of school improvement is the desire to help each individual pupil realise their full potential and become an enthusiastic lifelong learner. Sustainable development offers schools a powerful framework for achieving this aim, not just by contributing towards raising standards, but by developing the whole child within their community and wider world.
A school that addresses the social and emotional needs of its pupils, fosters their confidence in learning, promotes healthy living, bridges divides in its community, and instils a sense of care for the environment, is well on track to becoming a sustainable school.
The DfES wants to encourage all school leaders and senior managers to make this commitment and lead their schools towards a more sustainable future.
