Greener, Smarter, Stronger: Building a Sustainable IT Strategy for Schools

Environmental sustainability is no longer a peripheral concern for schools and multi-academy trusts. It is central to leadership decision-making, estate management and long-term planning. IT plays a significant role in a school’s carbon footprint, from device procurement and energy consumption to cloud usage and end-of-life disposal.

For IT directors and senior leaders, the challenge is clear. How can you design a school ICT strategy that supports digital learning while reducing environmental impact? The answer lies in embedding sustainable IT principles into every stage of planning and delivery.

Why Sustainable IT Matters in Education

Increased reliance on cloud platforms such as Microsoft 365 Education, online assessment tools, digital safeguarding systems and AI in education solutions is transforming teaching and learning. However, this growth brings energy consumption, hardware waste and supply chain impacts.

A sustainable IT approach helps schools to:

• Reduce energy usage and associated carbon emissions
• Extend the lifecycle of devices
• Lower electronic waste
• Align with wider environmental targets set by trusts or local authorities
• Demonstrate leadership in environmental responsibility to students and communities

For MATs in particular, sustainable ICT can support consistent environmental standards across multiple academies, strengthening governance and oversight.

Embedding the Circular Economy into Your School IT Strategy

The circular economy challenges the traditional buy, use, dispose model. Instead, it promotes reuse, refurbishment, repair and responsible recycling.

Within a school IT strategy, this can include:

• Device lifecycle planning
• Procurement frameworks that prioritise durability and repairability
• Refurbishment programmes for student devices
• Structured redeployment of hardware across academies
• Certified recycling partnerships

By taking a strategic view, schools and multi-academy trusts can reduce unnecessary device turnover and ensure that every asset delivers maximum value before disposal.

An IT strategy review is often the first step in identifying inefficiencies. Many schools discover they are replacing equipment prematurely or holding redundant stock due to inconsistent asset tracking. A structured review helps establish sustainable procurement and disposal standards that align with environmental goals.

Energy-Efficient ICT Infrastructure

Energy-efficient ICT is about more than switching off devices at the end of the day. It requires informed infrastructure decisions.

Considerations include:

• Server consolidation or migration to energy-efficient cloud solutions UK providers
• Modern network infrastructure that reduces power draw
• Intelligent power management settings across devices
• Reviewing legacy systems that consume disproportionate energy

For schools still operating on-premise servers, moving to optimised cloud environments can reduce both energy usage and cooling requirements. However, this must be assessed carefully within the wider school digital strategy to ensure resilience, safeguarding and compliance are not compromised.

Strategic IT support is essential here. Decisions should be evidence-based, not reactive.

Procurement with Environmental Accountability

Sustainable IT procurement is a powerful lever for change. Schools can require suppliers to demonstrate:

• Transparent environmental policies
• Carbon reduction commitments
• Ethical supply chains
• Take-back and recycling schemes

Frameworks such as those used by education IT services providers can support compliant and environmentally responsible purchasing.

When reviewing suppliers, IT leaders should evaluate not only cost and functionality, but also environmental impact. This is particularly important for MATs that wish to standardise procurement across their academies.

Engaging the Wider School Community

A greener IT strategy also presents an educational opportunity. Students are increasingly aware of climate issues. Transparent sustainability initiatives within school IT support services can reinforce environmental values and provide real-world learning contexts.

Reporting on energy savings, recycling achievements or device refurbishment schemes can support student-led eco initiatives and strengthen community engagement.

IT is no longer just a back-office function. It is part of the school’s environmental narrative.

The Role of an IT Strategy Review

Many schools recognise the importance of sustainable IT but lack the time or specialist capacity to implement meaningful change.

An independent IT strategy review provides:

• A clear baseline of current environmental impact
• Identification of energy inefficiencies
• Assessment of procurement and lifecycle management practices
• Recommendations aligned to your broader school digital strategy
• A roadmap for sustainable IT transformation

For multi-academy trusts, this ensures consistency across all academies and supports trust-wide environmental objectives.

At a time when schools face financial pressure and increasing scrutiny around sustainability, a structured approach to eco-friendly IT is both responsible and strategic.

Building a greener IT environment is not about limiting innovation. It is about making smarter, longer-term decisions that strengthen resilience, reduce waste and support the future of education.

If your school or multi-academy trust is reviewing its school IT strategy and wants to embed sustainable IT principles into long-term planning, Novatia can help. Our expert IT strategy review services provide independent, practical guidance tailored to your environment and governance structure. Get in touch today at https://www.novatia.com/contact to discuss how we can support your journey towards greener, smarter IT.