Subject associations for all subjects and awarding bodies attended a collaborative workshop (26 January), focused on the future of Climate Change, Nature, and Sustainability (CC, N & S) education in England. The workshop examined the findings of the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAAR) and the government’s response, both of which call for a significant strengthening of CC, N & S education across England’s schools.
Working alongside fellow colleagues Marlene Wylie, past president of NSEAD and Sophie Leach, deputy general secretary of NSEAD, represented art and design. Collectively we identified ten priority areas where the wider education system will require coordinated support to deliver high quality CC, N & S learning - both within and beyond future revisions to the national curriculum and qualifications.
The report outlines key areas for future development across the sector and sets out what successful reform could look like. It also highlights the urgent need for consistently high quality CC, N & S education nationwide . Above all, it proposes the new national curriculum and associated resources, exam specifications and professional support for teachers and teacher educators, needs to have the flexibility to remain relevant and current throughout the lifetime of the curriculum.
The outcomes of the workshop have resulted in a new report, Delivering High Quality Climate Change, Nature, and Sustainability Education for All – Beyond the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
The workshop was organised by the Royal Meteorological Society, the University of Reading, University College London, the National Association for Environmental Education, Global Action Plan, and the Council for Subject Associations.