Secondary students across ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust (OGAT), came together once again to discuss their continued commitment to tackling climate change.

At the second Student Voice Conference held by the Trust this academic year, more than 100 students gathered at Elland Road Stadium, Leeds, to check in with the Trust-wide progress made since they met at the first conference held back in December. Three Student Voice representatives from each of the 27 OGAT secondary academies, ensured that all academy voices were heard. The day allowed students to network with others outside their school; sharing best practices and presenting updates on the progress their academies had made since December.

Demonstrating the importance of action, the Trust was committed to making the conference as sustainable as possible – including using eco-friendly paper, recycled pens and organising shared transport for students and staff. Each student also received a small packet of bee-friendly wildflower seeds to plant at home.

Keynote speeches were delivered on the day by Green Schools Project and Planet League, organisations which both drive action on climate change and sustainability.

The Green Schools Project is dedicated to assisting schools in effectively addressing the urgent climate and ecological crisis. Their mission is to empower students to take the lead on projects, provide teacher training sessions and support schools in reducing their carbon emissions.

Georgia Prasad, Education Manager at Green Schools Project, spoke to the students about the Zero Carbon Schools programme, which the academies will be taking part in from September. She said:

"It was fantastic to meet the pupils and staff of ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust! Their enthusiasm and dedication as changemakers in creating a positive future were brilliant to see! We're looking forward to working with many of the academies this year on the Zero Carbon Schools programme and helping them continue on their sustainability journey."  

Planet League partners with over 80 football clubs across the UK to mobilise fans to live greener. Its unique technology platform includes a virtual assistant referee (VAR) system, where actions taken by fans are verified. To date, over 180,000 actions have been taken by fans with other 500 schools taking part in tournaments.

Rich Holmes, Head of Partnerships at Planet League, used his session to introduce the platform to the students and said afterwards:

“It was a privilege to be invited to speak at the Student Voice Conference. Having seen the impact ̨��swag Academy Hemsworth had during our previous campaigns, it’s exciting to see such interest from the other schools across the Trust.

“We look forward to working with ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust and seeing the impact staff and students alike can have through simple positive climate actions. It is inspiring to see the trust coming together to focus as a collective on how they can improve on the journey to being more sustainable”

Niamh Longbottom, Teacher of Science at ̨��swag Academy Hemsworth and organiser of the Student Conference, said:

“After the great success of our last conference in December, we were delighted to host another follow-up conference for our students. It was fantastic to see our students engage in activities and share their views.

“Climate change is one of the most challenging issues of our time, however, I believe that after seeing the great steps we have taken over the last year as a Trust, we are making small steps towards making a big difference.”

Sustainability is a key focus for the Trust as it works to create a bright future for all of its students. The events are organised to create a space for the next generation to discuss how they will be at the forefront of driving sustainability development at each academy.