Students plug into sustainability to help school become carbon neutral

Barron McCann, which is headquartered in Derby, is helping business studies pupils at Bramcote College with a real-world project as the school attempts to go green.

The Nottinghamshire academy is undergoing a major rebuild with a strong emphasis on sustainability, incorporating low-carbon and climate-resilient features.

As part of this initiative, the college plans to install EV charging points for staff and visitors to its new building and pupils have been tasked with researching the project.

Barron McCann recently expanded its services into the EV charging sector, building on its established nationwide field engineering and support capabilities.

The company now provides installation, maintenance and support services for EV charging point operators (CPOs) and manufacturers - making its staff ideally placed to support the students.

One student who took part in the project is Ore B, who is in year 10. He said: “I really enjoyed the challenge of working on a real business project and getting to collaborate with professionals from Barron McCann.

“Visiting the company and seeing how everything operates gave me a much clearer understanding of how businesses work. I even used this experience as an example of my teamwork and communication skills during a recent mock interview - it really helped me feel more confident.”

Jacqui Banger, Assistant Headteacher, said: “This project gave our Year 10 Business Studies students a unique opportunity to apply their learning in a real-world context.

“Working alongside professionals from Barron McCann and their partners, students explored the feasibility of installing electric vehicle charging points in our new building.

“From conducting market research to presenting their findings to a panel of experts, the experience brought the GCSE Business curriculum to life and helped students develop valuable, transferable employability skills they will carry with them into the future.”

As part of the project, students conducted surveys and interviews to establish the current level of demand for EV charging points and analysed trends to predict future demand.

The final plans include layout design, required infrastructure, estimated charge times and the implementation of charging management strategies - such as booking systems or time slots.

By guiding students through the practical challenges of EV infrastructure planning, Barron McCann is reinforcing its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and developing future talent.

Pupils will present their plan to the senior management team of Bramcote College and a representative from Barron McCann.

“Supporting Bramcote College in this project reflects our values as a business,” said Lucy Laughton, CSR Coordinator,from Barron McCann.

“We’re passionate about helping organisations move towards carbon neutrality, and just as importantly, we want to empower the next generation with the skills and knowledge they need to lead that change.

“This project was designed to equip the pupils with valuable skills in research, analysis and project management. It will also have provided them with a real-world understanding of the growing EV market and the practicalities of implementing sustainable solutions within an organisation.

“We were hugely impressed with their enthusiasm and imagination and we’re confident that many of them will go on to become future leaders in sustainability and innovation.

“At Barron McCann, we believe that meaningful partnerships like this one not only benefit the students involved but also strengthen our own commitment to corporate social responsibility. We look forward to continuing our support for initiatives that foster environmental awareness and inspire long-term, positive change.”