FAQs

How do I register with the Eco-Schools Programme?

Simply click register at the top, or bottom, of this page and you will be taken to the Eco-Schools portal. Then click ‘Register’ to enter your school?s details – this should take around 5 minutes. You can read more about the registration process here.

Is there a cost?

If a school, college or nursery chooses to apply for an Eco-Schools Green Flag there is a cost of £200+VAT. On this page is a more detailed explanation of the cost.

What types of schools can join the Eco-Schools Programme?

Any type of school can join Eco-Schools. This includes nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, specialist schools and pupil referral units. If you are unsure whether you are eligible to join the Eco-Schools programme please get in touch.

Can schools outside England join?

We only operate the Eco-Schools programme in England, so cannot register any institutions outside England. If you are in Scotland you can register here, Wales here, or Northern Ireland here – if you are in another country entirely get in touch with the Eco-Schools Global team here, who will be able to point you in the right direction.

Do you offer Eco-Schools Training?

Yes, if you go here you will be able to view all our free training dates.

How long does it take to achieve an Eco-Schools Green Flag?

Achieving an Eco-Schools Green Flag is designed to be done within one academic year. If you miss the application deadline, you can submit the following year using the previous year’s Eco-Schools work as evidence.

How often do schools, colleges and nurseries need to renew an Eco-Schools Green Flag?

The Eco-Schools Green Flag is an annual accreditation, meaning it needs renewing each academic year during the application window open from 1st May to 31st July. Click here for more information.

As a current Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation holder, what do I need to do to renew my Eco-Schools accreditation?

The application process is streamlines for schools renewing their Eco-Schools Green Flag, and the criteria (viewable when logged in to your Eco-Schools account) is slightly different. You can find out more about renewing your Eco-Schools Green Flag here.

How do I check if my school, college or nursery is already registered?

Click ‘Register’ at the top of this page and then ‘Register’ again to enter your school’s details. If your school has an existing account, you will be added as the primary contact to your school’s existing account. If your school doesn’t have an existing account, you will be asked for the further details needed to create one.

If you are worried about overwriting the details of a previous Eco-Coordinator, please get in touch with the Eco-Schools Team here, who will be able to provide support.

We can’t meet an aspect of the Eco-Schools criteria for reasons beyond our control, what should we do?

Get in touch with the Eco-Schools team, whilst we try to make our criteria as flexible and inclusive as possible we also realise that each school, college, and nursery is unique and there might be aspects of our criteria that all can’t meet. If this is the case in your school, get in touch and explain why you cannot meet this aspect of our criteria – we will take this into consideration when assessing future Green Flag applications.

How big should our Eco-Projects be?

One of the key features of the Eco-Schools programme is its flexibility, meaning that each Eco-Committee is entirely free to decide on how big (or small) the actions in their Action Plan are… We are just as excited to recognise the appointment of energy monitors as we are about the installation of solar panels. If you do decide to complete a larger Eco-Schools project, this doesn’t have to be complete before applying for an Eco-Schools Green Flag and can be used as evidence for multiple Eco-Schools Green Flag awards.

I registered, but never received an automated e-mail allowing me to login, what should I do?

If you do not receive an automated welcome email after 10 minutes following your registration, please check your junk/spam folder. If the email is not there, you can contact the Eco-Schools Team here and it is definitely worth contacting your IT/Admin department and request they add the domain keepbritaintidy.org to their safe senders list as this will ensure you receive future e-mails like your application feedback and results.

Another staff member is taking over my Eco-Coordinator role, how do I update our details on our School Portal?

As an Eco-Coordinator user you can login and add another colleague as a ‘Staff Member’ for your school by clicking the + at the top of the ‘Users’ administration panel. Once you have done this, you can find your own user account (again in the ‘Users’ administration panel) and disable it.

Alternatively you can get in touch with the Eco-Schools Team, who can do this for you.

How do we start our Eco-Schools Green Flag application?

First you will need to login to your Eco-Schools account. When you have logged in, click ‘Our Application’ on the left-hand side of the screen. Then click on the orange tab that says, ‘Create Application’ and then ‘Start Green Flag Application.’ You will only need to complete this part once during an academic year.

Now you will be able to click on any of the compulsory green Eco-Schools Seven Step sections to begin completing section of the Eco-Schools Green Flag application form.

How do I find Seven Step resources when I login to my Eco-Schools account?

First you will need to begin your Eco-Schools Green Flag application (see above). Next open your application, and click on the Seven Step Section you would like resources for, then click on the resources arrow. You will now be able to view links to access and download Eco-Schools resources via Microsoft SharePoint.

Do I have to answer all the questions in order?

No, questions can be answered in any order and your application form automatically saves as you add answers.

I can’t see previous Eco-Schools Green Flags, have they been forgotten?

No, the Eco-Schools Team are working with developers to resolve this issue – we still have records of all historic Eco-Schools Green Flags awarded.

I have forgotten my password, what should I do?

When you go to the Eco-Schools members page click ‘Forgot your password?’ under ‘Login’ and ‘Register.’ Then, when prompted, enter your e-mail address and you will immediately be sent a link to reset your Eco-Schools password.

I would like to change my password, how do I do this?

When you login to your Eco-Schools account, click your icon (next to your name on the top right-hand side), this will allow you to change your password and other details.

How do I update my school’s details on the portal?

When you login to your Eco-Schools account click on the pencil icon next to ‘My School’ on the left hand side of the screen, here you will be able to change details about your school including your own contact details.

How do I add additional users to my Eco-Schools account?

On the left-hand side click administration, then users. At the top of the screen (above the orange bar) it should have a + symbol. Click this and you will be able to add additional users and set them a password to login, they will have the opportunity to change this password when they login.

I have added a student as a user account, can they submit an application?

No, the system will not allow student-level users to submit an Eco-Schools Green Flag application.

Can I view previous Eco-Schools applications?

Yes, on the left-hand side of the screen click ‘Administration’ then ‘Green Flag Applications.’ You should be able to select any Green Flag applications you have begun or completed on this portal.

Can I change the Primary Contact for our school on the Portal?

Yes, when logged in, go to the ‘my school’ option and select the pen icon. On the information panel that pops up, amend the relevant details and click ‘save.’

Can I remove a staff contact from my schools profile? For example, a staff member who has moved to another school.

Yes, when you login in to your account click ‘Administration’ and then ‘Users.’ Click on the user you would like to remove from your school account and on the right-hand side their details should appear. In the ‘School’ box you should be able to see a cross. Click this cross and then select ‘Apply.’ A message will display saying, ‘Cannot read property ‘_id’ of null.’ Ignore this and upon refresh this user will be removed from your school account.

 

What is the size of an Eco-Schools Green Flag?

The Eco-Schools Green Flag measures 100cm x 150cm. The diameter of the Eco-Schools logo is 75cm.

Do we need permission to fly an Eco-Schools Green Flag?

Flying your flag no longer requires planning permission. Following the 2012 Olympics the rules on flying certain types of flag were relaxed and Eco-Schools Green Flags now have ‘deemed consent.’ You can find Government guidance on flying flags here.

Can I use the Eco-Schools logo?

Schools, Colleges and nurseries can only use the Eco-Schools logo if they hold a current Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation. Upon a successful application, and payment of invoice, the Eco-Schools Team will send out a digital logo to use. If you didn’t receive this e-mail, or can no longer find the logo, please get in touch with the Eco-Schools Team here.

If you would like to feature the Eco-Schools logo in a magazine article or on a web page, then please contact us with the request and the text you intend to use.

We retain the right to ask schools to remove our logo from their website if we believe they are no longer following the Eco-Schools Seven Step criteria or taking part in activities which are harmful to the environment such as balloon releases.

Can my organisation partner with Eco-Schools?

Yes, please get in touch with the Eco-Schools Team here for further information.