Published: Monday 14 April 2025
More work to help schools become greener and warmer and drive down energy bills will happen in Avondale, Bevington and Coville schools.
The Council has been awarded £295,000 from the Greater London Authority’s Greener Schools programme to go further to help the schools towards net zero emissions.
At Colville and Avondale, the funding will support a shift to LED lighting and installing double glazing windows. At Bevington, it will also help with LED installation, as well as helping to set up a community owned energy project (e.g. solar panels) in partnership with North Kensington Community Energy.
Lead Member for Net Zero at Kensington and Chelsea Council, Cllr Johnny Thalassites, said:
“Making our buildings greener is one of the best ways we can help lower carbon emissions and improve air quality. By improving the fabric of our school buildings and installing energy efficiency measures, we are also keeping classrooms warm and over time it should reduce energy bills for our schools too.
“We have already been supporting schools by installing heat pumps and upgrading pipework. The Greener Schools Fund is a boost as we continue this work at Avondale, Colville, and Bevington schools with new double glazing, LED lighting, and exploring opportunities for solar panel installations.”
How is the Council getting to net zero in school buildings?
The retrofit accelerator programme has been improving school buildings around the borough and within Council buildings. Find out more in this video.
We have also done air quality audits at Avondale and Colville primary schools, and bike hangers have been installed to encourage active travel. Climate change assemblies and an Environmental Summit will be also organised this year, in partnership with the local charity Urbanwise.
Schools across the borough that have been severely affected by flooding, including Avondale and Colville, are part of a broader programme to help our buildings adapt to extreme weather. This includes disconnecting downpipes from the sewer system and redirecting rainwater into new planters to improve sustainable drainage.
How did the council and GLA choose schools for the funding?
The Council has already been helping Bevington, Avondale and Colville schools to become more energy efficient through its retrofit accelerator programme. That programme has helped to install heat pumps, replacing temporary or inefficient gas boilers. Work has also been done across the schools to instal new pipework and radiators.
By improving the fabric of the existing building too, for example by replacing single glazing with double glazing, we can make sure the building holds the heat for longer. Alongside more efficient lighting, this should help drive down bills for the schools, keep classrooms warm and get the most out of all the new measures installed to help reduce carbon emissions too.