Unlike the Bronze and Silver awards, the Green Flag is not self-assessed. One of our trained volunteer assessors will come to visit your school to check whether you’ve met the criteria.

If you are not sure if you meet all the award criteria why not have a go at our new Green Flag Checklist.

Green Flag award criteria

Eco-Committee

• The school has an Eco-Committee that meets at least once every half term
• Pupils take significant responsibility for running the committee (the level of responsibility expected depends on the age and ability of the pupils involved)
• The Eco-Committee includes a parent and/or governor representative

Environmental Review

• The Eco-Committee has completed an Environmental Review covering the Eco-Schools nine topics and recorded the results
• Pupils were involved in carrying out the review
• Results of the review have been discussed by the Eco-Committee and communicated with the whole school

Action Plan

• The Eco-Committee has produced a detailed Action Plan
• The plan contains timescales, who is responsible and how eco work will be monitored and evaluated
• The Eco-Committee has shared the Action Plan with the rest of the school

Linking to the curriculum

• Sustainability has been covered in at least three curriculum areas by most year groups

Involving the whole school and wider community

• The school has a prominent, designated notice board, detailing Eco-Schools activities
• The Eco-Committee regularly communicates Eco-Schools activities to the whole school and wider community (eg. via assemblies and newsletters)
• The school has shared good practice with other schools who wish to join the Eco-Schools programme

Monitoring and evaluation

• Physical evidence has been collected of the school’s progress including data collection and analysis (graphs etc)
• Some monitoring data has been used in curriculum work

Eco-Code

• The school has an agreed, adopted and displayed Eco-Code
• The Eco-Code is displayed on the Eco-Schools notice board and in all classrooms
• The Eco-Code is known and understood by the majority of pupils and staff

Project work

• The school has completed in-depth work on at least three of the Eco-Schools nine topics, one of which must be energy

Note: if you’re renewing your Green Flag, you should have worked on a further two Eco-Schools topics since you gained your last flag. Please see the comprehensive Green Flag renewal guidance.

If you feel you’ve met the criteria, register or login using the box at the top-right hand corner of the screen and apply for the Green Flag award. 

More about the assessment process can be found in the Green Flag assessment section.