GENERAL NEWS NEWS...
Study finds school run produces more carbon than powering school buildings
The daily school run is the single biggest source of carbon emissions associated with England’s schools, according to the first national Count Your Carbon report, published today by Eco-Schools and Keep Britain Tidy. The findings arrive as schools across England are expected to have Climate Action Plans in place under the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which includes a target to cut school emissions by 50% by 2030.
The report shows that pupil commuting accounts for 21% of a school’s total carbon footprint, making it the largest individual contributor - ahead of electricity use, which represents 11%, and any other single emission category. When expanded to include staff travel, school vehicles and school trips, transport generates around 40% of total school emissions. Taken together, this means that the full transport footprint of a school now outweighs the emissions from heating and powering its buildings, which together make up 27%.
The hot school dinner emerges as one of the most significant contributors to emissions within the school gates – and the largest individual contributor for primary schools – accounting for around 16% of a school’s carbon footprint (rising to 21% for primary schools). With 73% of meals recorded as omnivorous, 23% vegetarian and only 4% plant- based, the report suggests that small adjustments towards plant-forward menus could have a meaningful impact on overall emissions, providing a direct and practical route for schools to make measurable progress for climate action.
Drawing on data from more than 1,600 primary and secondary schools, the Count Your Carbon report provides the most comprehensive picture to date of emissions across England’s education sector. The findings challenge long-held assumptions that school carbon footprints are driven mainly by buildings and energy use, and point instead to everyday operational decisions – particularly around travel, food and procurement – that sit at the heart of school life and community engagement.
Rising car dependency, longer travel distances and limited alternatives mean the carbon cost of getting pupils to school has quietly overtaken some of the most energy-intensive activities within the school itself. Currently, across all school types, an average of 42% of pupils travel by car and only 9% utilise public transport, indicating that coordinated
action with local authorities and transport planners is needed to reduce emissions.
Energy use within the school buildings adds significantly to
emissions, with electricity contributing 11%. The fact that only 15% of schools are currently purchasing 100% renewable electricity suggests a real opportunity for schools to reduce their carbon footprint further by switching providers/tariffs. Encouragingly, close to 22% of schools indicated onsite self-generation of renewable electricity - such as via solar panels. Fuel contributes a further 16%, with 87% of schools relying on gas as their primary heating source, emphasising the ongoing importance of building energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation initiatives in educational settings.
Keep Britain Tidy and Eco-Schools’ Count Your Carbon tool is the UK’s first free, full-scope carbon footprint calculator, built for – and in collaboration with – nurseries, schools and colleges. It supports educational settings to calculate, understand, reduce and track carbon emissions. This gives schools the data they need to meet the DfE expectations, prioritise action and embed sustainability across leadership, operations and learning. Importantly, it also contains recommendations on how schools can take action to reduce carbon emissions, build a carbon reduction plan and monitor progress over time. Under the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, which includes a target 50% reduction in schools’ carbon footprint by 2032, all schools in England were expected to have a Climate Action Plan in place by 2025. These plans must set out how schools will reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, promote sustainable travel, adapt to climate risks and make more sustainable procurement choices. Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy said: “We’re urging every school to sign up to our free Count Your Carbon tool to empower them to cut emissions and protect their pupils’ futures. The tool simplifies complex data into clear, practical actions for schools and families. When young people see how their travel, meals and school environment affect the climate, they become powerful advocates for change.”
ParentPay Group unveils reimagined FMS
With tighter budgets and rising admin demands, school finance teams face constant pressure to work smarter. In response, ParentPay Group has completely updated its trusted FMS platform – keeping everything schools know and rely on but redesigning it for clarity and speed within a secure cloud setting.
Built on decades of sector experience, the refreshed FMS keeps the functionality schools are familiar with from its leading finance management solution – and introduces clearer navigation, streamlined workflows and deeper reporting options.
The system is also securely cloud-hosted and accessible from any device, giving staff the flexibility to work where and when they need to. Key upgrades include a modern interface with breadcrumb navigation, tabbed screens and a new action bar that keeps important tasks in easy reach. Enhanced reporting features allow for instant drilldowns, quarter- on-quarter comparisons, and clear exports for governors, auditors, and leadership.
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www.education-today.co.uk
Commenting on the upgrade, Richard Avery, Head of Product – Financial Products at ParentPay Group, said: “We’ve taken everything that works about FMS6 and made it more intuitive, accessible, and easier to use. FMS is built for the cloud, but more importantly, it’s built to solve the challenges of school finance today – where visibility, accuracy and confidence matter more than ever. Smooth, integrated systems are the backbone of daily school life. And when finance tools work seamlessly with HR, catering and communication platforms, admin becomes a foundation, not a frustration.” With secure cloud hosting backed by Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, and automatic updates, the reimagined FMS takes the IT burden off schools – allowing teams to focus on what matters.
According to one secondary school bursar, “Being able to drill into any number, instantly, is a game changer. If a governor asked me, ‘What’s driving this?’ I could answer on the spot.”
Another primary school business manager added, “This is the first time I feel like I could get ahead of month-end. The workflow guidance is brilliant.”
February 2026
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