Ascham School’s Sustainability Journey
Ascham School in Edgecliff sets a powerful example of how independent schools can save energy, reduce emissions and minimise waste. With around 1,200 students from Kindergarten to Year 12 including 120 boarders, the school is implementing a campus-wide approach to sustainability. We spoke with Brendan Hunt, Head of Catering and Sustainability Coordinator at the school, to learn more about their initiatives.
Q: What projects has the school undertaken to reduce energy use and carbon emissions?
We’ve installed five rooftop solar systems, with a total capacity of 89.7kW and have more on the way this year. We were the first school in Australia to enter a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in 2019, securing renewable energy for our operations. About 85% of our lighting has been upgraded to LEDs and we are planning for more. Through these and other projects we’ve reduced our carbon emissions by 70% since 2018.
We are committed to embedding sustainability criteria into plans for new buildings from the design phase. This approach ensures sustainability is important right from the start. For example, one building currently under construction has multiple sustainability features. Just one example is the thermal-break system that has been installed to help regulate temperatures, reducing our heating and cooling needs.
Q: Waste reduction is a challenge for schools, especially with boarders. How is Ascham approaching this?
Our Catering team is passionate about avoiding and reducing food waste. We do this through careful menu planning and food preparation. We have a dedicated food organics collection in the kitchen and our dining area. All food scraps are taken off-site for composting, and all our dining room waste is either composted or recycled. Used cooking oil is recycled locally through Vinnie’s VUCOR program, and we recycle single-use coffee cups and lids brought on site.
We also have recycling bins across the school for:
- Paper and cardboard
- Bottles
- Soft plastics
- Batteries
- School uniforms
Q: What leadership and planning support the school’s sustainability efforts?
Our sustainability strategy is driven at Board level, with reporting flowing through from our Senior Leadership Team and back up from students. Collaboration with staff from our Property, Finance and Business teams has been important for the success of our projects.
As part of our Sustainability Roadmap to 2030 we’ve undertaken audits of the school’s electricity, gas, water and waste systems. These audits help us set baselines and targets for future improvement. We share information about our projects and progress with the whole school community via articles in our magazine, newsletters, website news, social media, student assemblies and staff presentations.
Q: How are students engaged in learning about sustainability?
Sustainability is embedded in our curriculum. For example:
- Year 7 Science explores renewable energy.
- Year 9 English examines climate change through literature.
The girls are especially passionate about reducing textile waste and recycling soft plastics. The students also enjoy our Greenspace vertical microfarm in the dining room, where we grow fresh microgreens including microherbs and microsalad leaves, which we harvest daily for lunches.
We have:
- A Year 12 Sustainability Committee that organises a pre-loved clothing event and shares information about our carbon footprint and the importance of pollinators for biodiversity.
- Year 6 Sustainability Prefects who meet regularly and share their knowledge through presentations at Junior School assemblies.
- A "print less" competition, encouraging students and staff to reduce paper use.
Q: What are Ascham’s plans for the future?
Our goal is to continue reducing energy use and emissions through to 2030 and beyond. We’re planning to double our solar capacity to around 200kW this year and in 2026 we hope to add battery storage to our system. We intend to strategically retire approximately 75% of our natural gas assets. To support this we’re investigating more efficient hot water heating options and air-conditioning systems across our facilities.
Q: Do you have some tips to share with other schools?
There are many projects that schools can implement to improve their sustainability. When you start with one project, you’ll find other ideas and opportunities open up.
It is helpful to develop a strategy. We've gradually moved from having aspirational goals to establishing more tangible targets with clear projects that we can implement.
There is a lot to learn, so it’s important to source some expert advice, set priorities and then put things in place step by step.
More information