Blog post
How our asks align with the Curriculum & Assessment Review
Teach the Future
October 28, 2024
We have looked at what the Government's Curriculum and Assessment Review sets out to deliver and shared how our campaign asks align.
We have looked at what the Government's Curriculum and Assessment Review sets out to deliver and shared how our campaign asks align.
Teach the Future was founded in 2019 by young people from the UK school climate strike movement, who realised that they knew little about the climate and ecological crises, and felt the education system had failed to equip them for the greatest issue of our time. Led by secondary and tertiary education students, the campaign aims to urgently repurpose the UK education system around the climate emergency and ecological crisis.
Since our first set of asks for the government (2020), we have called for a review of the national curriculum, carried out research with teachers and students showing support for this, and introduced the first ever bill written by children — the Climate Education Bill (2021) — securing cross-party support for it. The Bill would mandate the provision of quality, integrated, solutions-centred climate education into the national curriculum, requiring agencies such as Ofsted and exam boards to ensure this is implemented, and while supporting educators, including those in training, through this transition.
We couldn’t wait for this change, so we took it upon ourselves to create our ‘curriculum for a changing climate’. We completed a ‘tracked changes’ version of the English KS3 and KS4 national curriculum showing how and where climate and sustainability education can be integrated, guided by our 10 principles. While the subject reports don’t reflect our broader vision for education, they have already helped educators to integrate climate education into their teaching. The reports offer an initial demonstration in how climate education - both in content and delivery - is relevant and valuable to all learners, regardless of their interests or what they progress onto in future. They also provide an example of an “evolution not revolution” of the curriculum as sought by the Government Review.
We are delighted to see that the new Government has launched the Curriculum and Assessment Review with the review panel opening the call for evidence and the regional roadshow to gather perspectives. We are offering our guidance and support to the 150+ supporting organisations, teachers, education professionals, and young people across our campaign to meaningfully engage in the review.
You can also view our draft submission for the Review’s ‘call for evidence’ which we encourage others to tailor or use parts of to include in their own submissions and read our views on what more could be done if the scope of the Review were a bit broader.
1. An excellent foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and maths.
Sustainability and climate change education offers opportunities to develop so-called core subject knowledge through the development of a wide range of skills and through more interesting and engaging real-world examples (Cambridge International, 2021). For example: within English, the curriculum can include the role of criticality and inquiry, integrating authors, such as Arundhati Roy or Chinua Achebe, who present a diversity of perspectives and address the root causes of inequality and ecological destruction. Assessment through authentic tasks such as letter writing to decision makers or presenting one’s own argument can develop skills including persuasion, description and expressing feelings around issues of concern and those in relation to one’s future. In mathematics, the ethics around decision making and how mathematics is used to model and communicate climate science could also be explored. With real-world examples, learners can develop their problem-solving skills, exploring solutions to climate change, encouraging a sense of curiosity and aspiration.
Students’ learning environment also has significant impacts on learning gains on core subjects. Outdoor learning offers opportunities for learners to thrive by improving attention, knowledge retention, and mental and physical health (Emily Marchant et al, 2019).
One notable example of applied, real-world learning in the UK includes the Breathe London Wearables Study, in which 250+ primary school children wore air pollution sensors and GPS trackers during their school commute, writing travel diaries, thus contributing to wider citizen science on air quality. As a result, the majority of children reported a clearer understanding of drivers, risks, and ways to mitigate air pollution. The study highlights the promising potential of environmental education for bringing the classroom outdoors, particularly on local problems like air pollution (Varaden et al, 2019, 2021, Dillon, Glackin, and Achiam 2021). Another example is The British Trust for Ornithology’s ‘What’s Under Your Feet?’ project which commenced in which 600 schools monitored soil biodiversity in school playing fields, enabling pupils to learn about soil invertebrates, birds, and ecological systems through a living laboratory approach (Pearce-Higgins, 2021). Such innovative approaches enable schoolchildren to learn practical, real-world skills and boost core subject learning.
2. A broader curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, art, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.
A broader, well-rounded curriculum, where all subjects are equally valued, would support young people to thrive in formal education and in their futures. Learners should find education stimulating and enjoyable, and this requires all learners to have the opportunity to study a whole range of subjects. Sustainability can serve as a natural opportunity to foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning (Sipos, Y., Battisti, B. and Grimm, K., 2008). Cross-cutting topics like social, political or environmental challenges can be explored from the perspectives of different disciplines and problem-based learning can engage students in seeing the relevance of what they are learning (Nilson, 2010). Solutions to present and future societal challenges do not exist only in STEM but across all disciplines. For example, students can explore challenging topics through creative expression in the Arts or in Drama. Communication skills, confidence, and expression can all be fostered through such subjects. Sport can provide opportunities to learn and play outside, as well as exploring health and wellbeing of oneself and one’s community. A broader curriculum would support learners to develop a range of skills and knowledge from their subjects to understand issues, develop solutions and engage others.
3. A curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.
The futures of young people today will be significantly shaped by the climate and ecological emergency. Equipping students with green skills will contribute to the mitigation and adaptation of these challenges whilst preparing them to participate in the green economy (World Economic Forum, 2020). To meet the UK’s net zero targets, public awareness and acceptance of carbon reduction measures must increase (Committee on Climate Change, 2019). School education plays a vital role in ensuring fair and just transitions to net zero by 2050 by shaping ‘lifelong career choices’, so greater support and coordination from government is needed to bring these transitions to a reality (Climate Change Committee, 2023). This can be progressed through increased knowledge and awareness of students and, through them, their families and communities (Carlisle, 2021, Climate Outreach 2021).
Green jobs are growing, with the ILO projecting the creation of 24 million new jobs worldwide by 2030 and LinkedIn identifying green jobs growing at twice the rate of workers skilled to fill them (International Labour Organisation, 2018; LinkedIn, 2023). Integrating green skills can help address the low-carbon skills gap identified by businesses and industry (Department for Education, 2019).
Further, integrating green skills into vocational learning can play a crucial role in helping to foster lifelong learning and increase employability outcomes (Kahyaoglu, 2025). From learning about the sustainability of building materials in construction courses, water management and treatment in plumbing, or approaches to food and farming in cooking, there are countless opportunities to weave sustainability through such subjects and improve outcomes for learners. Environmental education increases connection to nature and pro-environmental behaviours (Mackay & Schmitt, 2018) and social wellbeing (Pritchard et al, 2020).
Sustainability and climate education offer opportunities for students to develop criticality and problem-solving skills and to take part in action-based learning, and work individually, collaboratively or within the community (Savery, 2019). Self efficacy fostered through such learning has a positive knock-on impact on students’ attendance, attainment and behaviour (Trott, C. D. et al., 2023). Developing these skills and attributes will ensure access to opportunity for all young people to thrive in their current and future lives.
4. A curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented.
Integrating climate education, especially through a lens of climate justice, into the curriculum can play a crucial role in creating an inclusive and representative learning environment that addresses the diverse issues and lived experiences of our society (Trott, C. D. et al., 2023).
Climate justice recognises the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis on those already oppressed and marginalised and acknowledges the intersectionality of these struggles. Through this lens, students can understand how protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability and socioeconomic status intersect and influence who is the most affected by climate change, who has contributed the least and who has power in exacerbating, mitigating, or adapting to climate change. By learning about these disparities, the curriculum can increase awareness of social inequities, instil values of empathy, and empower young people to advocate for fair and just solutions (Trott, C. D. et al., 2023).
Communicating climate change in this way represents a more diverse set of voices and experiences, meaning students are more likely to see themselves and their cultures represented (Trott et al., 2023). It can also connect the climate crisis and examples of environmental degradation to students’ own communities, for example through looking at levels of air pollution across the UK and how these disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of colour. Social and environmental issues also present opportunities for students to share their own cultural heritage and connections to other parts of the world, fostering a sense of global citizenship which is a key indicator for measuring progress on SDG Goal 4: Quality Education (Kwauk and Iyengar, 2021). For example, pupils can bring in awareness of current events or observe the impacts of climate change in the UK and globally. Teaching and learning global citizenship is also widespread and varied. For example, in 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government published a guidance, ‘Education for sustainable development and global citizenship (ESDGC): A common understanding for schools’ which emphasised the importance of whole-school approaches to ESDGC. It featured case studies ranging from KS2 and KS3 pupils working with the Centre for Alternative Technology on how protecting the natural environment translates locally and globally, to exploring cross-border effects of climate change through international school partnerships.
Children and young people are deeply concerned about the environment and climate change and want to see more actions taken to address the issues (RCPCH, 2023). There is also wide recognition of increasing climate anxiety and climate doomism amongst young people, the antidote to which is quality solutions-centred climate education (Hickman et al, 2021). This can be achieved through fostering resilience and reflection, ‘constructive coping’, as well as through taking pro-environmental and pro-sustainability actions within students’ own families, schools and communities (UNESCO 2024 page 110-111). Poor mental health prevents students from achieving their full potential at school (Ojala, M., Cunsolo, A., Ogunbode, C., & Middleton, J., 2021). By integrating solutions-centred climate education throughout the curriculum, young people will be empowered rather than debilitated by poor mental health. When people affect change within themselves or their communities they are more able to realise self-efficacy and more likely to undertake more responsible behaviours in other parts of their lives (for example, classroom behaviour, attendance, substance use) (Singleton, 2015).
5. An assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum, with the right balance of assessment methods whilst maintaining the important role of examinations.
At present, students are over-assessed and methods for assessment do not foster the necessary skills for students’ future work or lives (Thornhill-Miller et al, 2023). Quality climate and sustainability education encourages learning-by-doing, real world application, collaborative work and interdisciplinary thinking (UNICEF, 2022). The incorporation of a wider range of assessment methods would help to evaluate learners beyond rote memorisation and consider a wider set of skills, better preparing them for their futures. Group-based assessments, case studies and exam questions focused on problem solving or inquiry would rely less on memorisation which can be a factor of stress and anxiety. Use of real world examples and applied, hands-on assessments can give learners a greater sense of purpose and increase learning retention and enjoyment (Murphy, 2021).
To thrive in modern society, students must develop skills to interpret information (including spotting mis- and dis-information), critique data and assumptions, and develop problem-solving skills (Gray, 2016). Assessment methods that foster critical thinking and application of knowledge principles, rather than rote memorisation, better prepares students for the realities of an information-rich society (Thornhill-Miller et al, 2023).
References
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