Teach the Future are excited to announce the latest addition to the Curriculum for a Changing Climate: Tracked Changes review of the national curriculum for England, with reports now complete for the English and Modern Foreign Language (MFL) curricula for KS3 and KS4. You can find these documents linked on our Curriculum for a Changing Climate: Subjects blog post.
These reports add to the existing documents released in September 2022, which cover History, Art and Design, Citizenship, Design & Technology, Geography, PSHE, Religious Studies, and Science. The authors use a ‘Tracked Changes’ methodology to suggest amendments to the current National Curriculum, showing how climate change and sustainability can be embedded throughout secondary education, and not just in the subjects they have traditionally been included in, such as Science and Geography.
The updated curriculum highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the climate crisis and the relevance of all subject areas in helping achieve a sustainable future and bring about the changes to society required to address climate change. These changes to the curriculum aim to equip all students with detailed knowledge of not just the causes and effects of the climate crisis, but also the solutions. We at Teach the Future believe that the education system as it currently stands fails to adequately prepare students for their futures on our planet, and this needs to change. According to SOS-UK’s Schools and Sustainability research from 2019-2021, 39% of survey respondents aged 9-18 said that they had learnt a little, hardly anything, or nothing about the environment at their current place of study, and 71% said that they were interested in learning more.
The updated curricula for English and MFL highlight the range of opportunities for climate change and sustainability to be integrated into these subjects throughout secondary education. For example, English students could discuss current environmental issues and affairs, and explore how the language we use and literature we read reflects our changing relationships with nature. MFL students can use their knowledge of world cultures to explore current issues of importance across the globe, including those related to climate change and the environment, and be empowered to make a positive contribution to society and our planet.
These are just a few examples of the transformation of climate education, through some key amendments to the National Curriculum, which the tracked changes report offers. It highlights the ease with which climate education can be fitted within the current National Curriculum, as opposed to being ‘bolted on’. We hope that the Department for Education will also use the research to influence wider policy, and look forward to the release of additional subject reports later this year.
We’re also delighted that some teachers are already using the examples from the review, implementing the suggestions on the ground for a range of subjects. Sarah Dukes, Sustainability Coordinator and English Teacher, alongside a couple of other teachers are looking for case studies to help record and share this best practice. If you have used this as a resource for your teaching and learning, please complete this Google Form or get in touch with Sarah at sdukes@chase.worcs.sch.uk.
For further information on our tracked changes documents, read our launch blog, or take a look at individual subjects. If you ever have any further questions, or would like to share how you’re using these documents to further climate education, please let us know by emailing hello@teachthefuture.uk.
