Learning through Landscapes: Climate Schools 180

This week, Beacon Academy staff and students welcomed Learning through Landscapes (LtL), a leading UK-based charity dedicated to enhancing outdoor learning for children and young people.

As part of INSET day, members of teaching and support staff took part in sessions introducing them to the Climate School 180 programme, a project offering resources and guidance to help schools to address the impacts of climate change in their outdoor environments. This involved exploring ideas to help further embed education of environmental issues and “constructive hope” into the curriculum.

The following day, members of Beacon Academy Eco Club in Years 7, 8 and 10, took part in an audit of the school grounds, conducting experiments investigating temperature, wind and the permeability of different surfaces.

Mary Jackson, Head of Education & Communities at LtL, said:

The LtL team were highly impressed by the students’ enthusiasm for this work. They demonstrated a genuine interest in sharing their understanding of the school grounds and conducting hands-on climate-related experiments outdoors. We left feeling confident that the students will be eager to explore further ways in which their local environment can both adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Deputy Headteacher at Beacon Academy, Zoe James, said:

“Working with LtL as part of their Climate School 180 programme has really supported our work on sustainability. Through the professional development for staff and their meeting with students, we have been able to reflect on how we can use our fantastic outdoor spaces to build students’ sense of belonging and engagement with the environment.”