GATE // School Managers Quiz

Área IV: Acting for Sustainability

Feedback and Tips

Marco, a sweet and little boy

Basic Level

Description

You are beginning to develop awareness of how leadership decisions, school organisation and policy choices affect sustainability. You recognise that inaction also has consequences and show interest in understanding the main stakeholders relevant to your school’s sustainability work. You demonstrate readiness to support emerging initiatives from staff and students and begin to explore how collective action and partnerships can strengthen long-term change. Your responses indicate an early capacity to connect school priorities with sustainability principles and to encourage responsible behaviour across the school.

TIPS to raise your level
Sofia, a clever and outgoing girl

Advanced Level

Description

You show growing confidence in leading and coordinating sustainability efforts across the school. You understand the key stakeholders in your community, how to engage them and how to build inclusive processes that support shared action. You recognise the importance of transparency, collaboration and democratic decision-making and work with staff and students to create coherent sustainability practices. You integrate sustainability principles into planning, evaluation and daily routines and support teams in applying resource-efficient, participatory and future-oriented approaches. You increasingly help shape the conditions that make it possible to have coordinated action regarding sustainability.

TIPS to raise your level
Amina, a smart, empathetic, and confident student

Expert Level

Description

You demonstrate strong, strategic leadership for sustainability at the whole-school level. You understand political, organisational and community systems and can analyse how they influence sustainability outcomes. You coordinate diverse coalitions, strengthen partnerships and create opportunities for collective action across sectors and regions. You propose and guide long-term sustainability pathways, ensuring that policies, governance structures and school culture support fairness, inclusion and environmental responsibility. You empower staff, students and partners to work collaboratively, and you model high expectations for accountability and positive change. Your leadership contributes to a resilient, participatory and future-focused school system.

TIPS to raise your level

Tips to raise your level

level basic TIPS

Marco, a sweet and little boy

To strengthen this Area, you might consider: 

At Escola Secundária de Estarreja  (Portugal), the Eco-Council functions as a structured working group for sustainability (My School Without Plastic), bringing together students and teachers. The group plans actions, shares responsibilities and supports school-wide initiatives such as reducing plastic use. This structure allows sustainability efforts to move beyond isolated activities toward shared ownership. You can develop similar practice by formally establishing a sustainability working group that meets regularly and coordinates initial actions. 

Try this: Establish a sustainability working group that includes students, staff, and possibly families. Meet monthly to plan small-scale, visible actions (like waste audits or awareness events) and give group members rotating responsibilities to build ownership. 

At Escola Secundária Alves Martins  (Portugal), projects such as “100 Days Without Plastic” are visibly communicated through posters, events and student-produced materials. Students are encouraged to reflect on their own habits and contribute ideas for reducing plastic use. 
Visibility helps normalise sustainability as part of everyday school life. You can support this by using notice boards, websites or assemblies to highlight sustainability actions and invite participation. 

Try this: Use your school website, bulletin boards, or weekly newsletters to feature one sustainability initiative per month. Invite classes to document their actions with photos, slogans, or infographics and present them during school assemblies. 

At Escola Secundária D. Manuel Martins  (Portugal), s  student-led clubs and environmental activities linked to the Manteigadas Environmental Interpretation Center are supported by school leadership. School managers enable these initiatives by providing space, time and recognition. This encourages students and teachers to engage more confidently in sustainability action. You can foster similar development by actively endorsing and lightly structuring initiatives that emerge from your school community. 

Try this: Provide a small grant or dedicated time slot for student- or teacher-led sustainability projects. Celebrate successes with certificates, a “green spotlight” feature, or a shared event. Acknowledge efforts publicly to encourage more participation. 

At Carl-Severing-Berufskolleg  (Germany), sustainability work is connected to external partners such as regional actors and vocational networks. Even at an early stage, leadership recognises the importance of external stakeholders for coordinated action. This helps students and staff see sustainability as a shared societal responsibility. You can take similar steps by identifying relevant local authorities, NGOs or companies and exploring first points of contact. 

Try this: Create a simple stakeholder map with staff and students: Who influences sustainability locally? Identify 2–3 partners (e.g., local environmental NGOs or waste management companies) and invite one to give a talk or collaborate on a small project.  

At MOS Network (Belgium), schools engage in coordinated environmental campaigns supported by the MOS programme. School leaders encourage participation through visible, low-threshold actions such as themed days and shared challenges. Students and teachers act together and begin to see sustainability as a collective responsibility. You can adopt this approach by launching simple, school-wide sustainability campaigns that invite broad participation. 

Try this: Launch a 2-week “No-Waste Challenge” or “Energy Smart Days” campaign. Provide visible tracking (like a school thermometer for energy savings) and invite every class to contribute. Use short debriefs to reflect on learning and improvements. 

At British School of Brussels (Belgium), sustainability is promoted through daily routines and visible practices across the campus. Leadership supports initiatives such as waste reduction and energy awareness as part of normal school life. Students learn that individual actions matter when they are consistently supported by school structures. You can foster similar learning by integrating sustainability expectations into daily routines and school norms. 

Try this: Introduce a rotating “Eco-Steward” role in each class to remind peers about sustainable habits (e.g., sorting waste or switching off unused devices). Reinforce these behaviours with positive recognition during morning announcements or weekly assemblies. 

Advanced basic TIPS

Sofia, a clever and outgoing girl

To strengthen this Area, you might consider: 

At Escola Secundária de Estarreja  (Portugal), sustainability is embedded through the Eco-Escolas programme, which guides school planning and evaluation. School leadership aligns sustainability goals with the school’s mission and long-term priorities. This creates coherence between projects, policies and everyday routines. You can replicate this by explicitly integrating sustainability objectives into your school programme and development plans. 

Try this: Review your school’s current development plan. Identify areas where sustainability goals could be added or made more visible, such as in facilities management, teaching objectives, or staff development. Establish sustainability as a core principle that informs all planning processes. 

At Escola Secundária Alves Martins  (Portugal), regular initiatives such as “100 Days Without Plastic” and environmental action days are embedded in the school calendar. Students and teachers collaborate across subjects and roles during these extended activities. This supports shared responsibility and sustained engagement rather than one-off events. You can do this by institutionalising annual sustainability projects or themed weeks that involve the whole school. 

Try this: Introduce a “Sustainability Week” or an annual theme (e.g. “Our Waste-Free School”). Plan cross-curricular projects that run over several days and involve both staff and students. Consider rotating leadership roles between teams each year to encourage broader engagement. 

At Escola Secundária D. Manuel Martins  (Portugal), cooperation with the municipality and the Manteigadas Environmental Interpretation Center supports environmental education and civic engagement. School leaders coordinate partnerships that enrich learning and provide real-world relevance. Students experience sustainability as a shared task between school and community. You can foster this by building stable collaborations with local authorities, NGOs or cultural institutions. 

Try this: Map potential partners in your local area (municipal environmental departments, recycling agencies, NGOs). Initiate one new collaboration per term by inviting a partner into a school project or planning a joint sustainability event with them. 

At Carl-Severing-Berufskolleg  (Germany), sustainability is supported through structured cooperation between leadership, staff and external partners. Clear roles, shared responsibilities and transparent processes help coordinate action across the school. Students and teachers understand how decisions are made and how they can contribute. You can develop similar structures by establishing regular coordination meetings and participatory procedures for sustainability initiatives. 

Try this: 
Set up a “Sustainability Steering Group” that includes students, staff, and management. Define clear roles and responsibilities. Schedule regular meetings where decisions are openly discussed and documented, and where all members can propose initiatives. 

At Ruusuvuori School & Vantti Oy  (Finland), sustainability projects are coordinated across subjects and school activities. School leadership supports collaboration among teachers to align projects with shared sustainability objectives. This creates coherence and reinforces sustained collective engagement. You can replicate this by aligning departmental projects under common sustainability goals and timelines. 

Try this: Organise a termly coordination meeting where department heads share their ongoing sustainability projects. Identify overlapping goals and opportunities to integrate them into shared campaigns or interdisciplinary activities. Consider assigning one staff member to track overall alignment. 

At the City of Vantaa  (Finland), schools use data and evaluation to guide sustainability actions and partnerships. Leadership supports transparent monitoring of outcomes and shares results with staff and students. This helps the school community understand how decisions are justified and improved. You can adopt this by integrating sustainability indicators into evaluation and planning processes. 

Try this: Develop a simple dashboard of sustainability indicators (e.g. energy use, recycling rates, student participation). Use this data in planning meetings and student assemblies to show impact and invite suggestions for next steps. 

Expert basic TIPS

Amina, a smart, empathetic, and confident student

To strengthen this Area, you might consider: 

At Carl-Severing-Berufskolleg  (Germany), sustainability is embedded in whole-school development and cooperation with regional partners (Case Studies, pp. 302–325). School leadership aligns sustainability with vocational profiles, partnerships and institutional priorities. Students and staff experience that sustainability is not an add-on but a core decision-making criterion. You can develop this by systematically checking how major decisions align with sustainability principles and making this process transparent. 

Try this: Introduce a “sustainability lens” for school decisions. For every major initiative, whether related to procurement, infrastructure, or curriculum, assess alignment with sustainability goals. Make this process transparent by documenting decisions and criteria in staff meetings or development plans. 

At Escola Secundária de Estarreja (Portugal), the Eco-Council functions as a permanent participation body involving students, teachers and partners. The council co-designs sustainability actions and influences school routines and priorities. This empowers different groups to act together and share responsibility for change. You can replicate this by establishing a formal sustainability committee with real decision-making influence. 

Try this: Create or strengthen a permanent sustainability committee or council. Ensure it includes diverse voices (students, staff, families, partners), meets regularly, and contributes to planning, monitoring, and reviewing sustainability strategies. 

At Escola Secundária Alves Martins  (Portugal), initiatives such as MAPEAR and “100 Days Without Plastic” include monitoring, reflection and adaptation. School leadership supports evaluation of outcomes and uses results to refine future actions. This strengthens a culture of learning from practice rather than one-off success. You can foster this by regularly reviewing sustainability projects and using evidence to guide further development. 

Try this: Develop a structured annual review process for your school’s sustainability work. Include both qualitative reflections (e.g. student and teacher feedback) and quantitative data (e.g. waste reduction metrics). Use the findings to adapt your strategy each year. 

At Escola Secundária D. Manuel Martins  (Portugal), long-term cooperation with the municipality and the Manteigadas Environmental Interpretation Center supports civic and environmental education. School leaders coordinate networks that connect students, teachers and external stakeholders. This allows sustainability action to scale beyond the school itself. You can develop similar pathways by formalising partnerships and aligning school strategies with local and regional sustainability goals. 

Try this: Identify at least three long-term sustainability partners—such as local government offices, environmental NGOs, or universities. Co-create joint projects or learning modules that are sustained beyond a single school year and include shared accountability. 

At Max Windmöller Gymnasium Emden  (Germany), sustainability initiatives are aligned with regional education and environmental strategies. School leadership connects internal projects with external policy frameworks and partners. Students see how local action fits into broader systems of change. You can develop this by aligning school sustainability strategies with regional or national goals. 

Try this: Map regional or national sustainability strategies and policies that affect education. Cross-check your school’s sustainability goals with them. Use this alignment to seek funding, recognition, or collaboration opportunities that connect your school to broader systems of change. 

At Gymnasium Ismaning  (Germany), sustainability is embedded in long-term school culture and leadership practices. School leaders support continuous collaboration, reflection and innovation across the school community. This sustains engagement beyond individual projects or staff changes. You can foster this by embedding sustainability into leadership practices, values and long-term school development strategies. 

Try this: Incorporate sustainability into staff onboarding, leadership training, and school values. Create a shared vision that spans staff generations and survives leadership transitions by documenting values, key practices, and cultural markers of sustainability. 

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