2026 EcoSummit

Every March, teachers and business managers from Surrey schools come together across two events to celebrate the achievements of our local schools. This year we celebrated a particular milestone as Surrey topped the EcoSchools Green Flag awards table for the 3rd year running.

The theme of this year’s EcoSummit was resilience, following on from Surrey County Council’s Resilient Schools Programme, which has supported 21 schools with implementing measures to keep classrooms cool, and playgrounds open and free of flooding. Additionally, two schools were supported to pilot a ‘deep dive’ approach to look at how shading, flood mitigation, and nature restoration can be achieved through combined resilience measures that provide continuity in children’s education.

The summit takes place across two dates, in Woking and in Reigate, and this year we took a look back at the improvements many schools have made in coping with the rising climate impacts. Flooding and overheating have a serious impact on children’s continuity for education, concentration levels, and can impact the local economy when parents have to stay home for childcare.

The sessions included resilience measure mapping, workshops requested by the schools, and some case studies from schools. But there’s another part to resilience, alongside the physical improvements to tackle escalating risks, and that’s how to build inner resilience to cope with the different challenges we face. This is especially important for young people who face an uncertain future, and to cover this aspect we were also joined by a Chartered Educational Psychologist for advice on supporting students with the risks they face.

Watch the video for a recap of the EcoSummit at WWF in Woking, and if you’d like to be involved in the EcoSchools programme, are interested in installing resilience measures in 2026, or want support for school projects, contact greenerfutures@surreycc.gov.uk