The award of Beacon Site Status represents far more than just an institutional accolade—it recognises a fundamental shift in how we prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders. By weaving sustainability into our clinical education, we are cultivating professionals who will embed environmental stewardship and planetary health into every clinical decision they make throughout their careers. This recognition places King's at the forefront of a vital transformation in healthcare education, and we're committed to extending this model across our institution and inspiring the sector to follow.
Professor Rachel Mills, Senior Vice President Academic, King’s College London
17 November 2025
King's Dental Faculty Leads the Way in Sustainable Healthcare Education
King’s College London’s Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences (FoDOCS) is proud to become the first dental school in the UK to be awarded Beacon Site Status by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
This prestigious recognition places the faculty at the forefront of a national movement to embed sustainability into clinical education and practice.
The accreditation celebrates FoDOCS’ pioneering integration of Education for Sustainable Healthcare (ESH) principles across its undergraduate curriculum. Through the innovative Sustainable Healthcare & Lifelong Learning (S.H.E.L.L) framework, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to champion environmental stewardship, planetary health, and sustainable quality improvement throughout their clinical careers.
A Curriculum Rooted in Sustainability
Since 2020, FoDOCS has been steadily weaving sustainability into its teaching, culminating in a spiral curriculum that spans all years of study and includes dedicated SSCs and iBSc options. The S.H.E.L.L framework ensures that environmental awareness and healthcare transformation are not just taught—but lived and practised.
Our students are learning to improve oral health and deliver better health outcomes in a way that not only benefits their patients, but also the environment on which human health depends.
Dr Flora Smyth Zahra, Education for Sustainable Healthcare Lead at the Faculty of Dentistry Oral & Craniofacial Sciences.
Student-Led Audits Driving Change
FoDOCS also plays a key role in the Planetary Health Report Card, an international student-led initiative that audits sustainability in health education. Since 2024, Year 4 students have conducted annual curriculum audits, contributing to global benchmarking efforts.
Growing Greener Spaces at Guy’s Campus
Sustainability at FoDOCS goes beyond the classroom. Earlier this year, the Faculty received 60 hedging shrubs—including crabapple, dogwood, hawthorn, and hazel—through the NHS Forests scheme, enriching the Guy’s community garden. These plantings aim to boost biodiversity and create restorative green spaces for patients, students, and staff.
In collaboration with Oli Austen, founder of the community garden and Sustainability Champion at the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, and King’s Estates & Facilities, FoDOCS continues to enhance the garden behind the Hodgkin Building, transforming it into a vibrant sanctuary for wellbeing and connection.
This milestone reflects King’s College London’s broader commitment to sustainability across education and campus life. FoDOCS is proud to lead by example—empowering the next generation of dental professionals to shape a healthier, more sustainable future.
This recognition as a Beacon Site is a proud moment for our Faculty and a testament to the dedication of our staff and students. Embedding sustainability into dental education isn’t just an academic achievement—it’s a commitment to shaping clinicians who will lead with responsibility, compassion, and innovation. At King’s, we believe that the future of healthcare must be both patient-centred and planet-conscious.
Professor Michael Escudier, Executive Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London.
The Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care at King’s was awarded Beacon Site Status in early 2023, the first in the UK Higher Education sector for nursing and midwifery. With the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Science joining Nursing, King’s is the only University in the UK to have achieved this across two faculties.
In this story
Senior Vice President (Academic)
Executive Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences
Clinical Senior Lecturer in Interdisciplinarity & Innovation Dental Education