Schools across the UK to celebrate ‘Open School’ events in their bids save nature
by Educate Magazine June 12, 2023 · Education News
From today (12 June) until 18 June, participating schools across the UK will celebrate with ‘Open School’ events to show the local community the ‘wild side’ of their school grounds and their plans to save UK nature.
Schoolchildren will celebrate and showcase the results of the projects they have undertaken to help save nature.
Whether they have made wildlife ponds for frogs, built nest boxes for breeding birds, or planted wildflower meadows for pollinators, schools will open their gates to their local community to share how they have made their grounds a safe haven for wildlife under threat.
This is after new research commissioned by WWF, the RSPB and the National Trust found that schools across the country have a lack of nature friendly spaces to help inspire the next generation of nature lovers.
The research, by The Education Company, found that half (50.47%) of schools in the UK say that none of their pupils have daily opportunities to spend free time or play in a nature-rich environment at school, suggesting that school grounds do not include nature-rich spaces.
The study, which The Education Company said represented 1, 889 unique establishments, also found that not enough schools are embedding outdoor learning into their curriculum, particularly secondary schools, where only 40% of respondents said that some pupils have access.
There is increasing evidence that time spent outdoors can improve mental wellbeing and learning. And at a time when a third of young people regularly experience anxiety, giving children the opportunity to connect with nature is all the more important.
The organisations have been supporting schools to welcome nature into their classrooms and schoolgrounds through a series of live lessons, award schemes, personal development for teachers, and online resources, including information on how they can share their successes and achievements with their local community.
To find out how to green your local spaces or to sign up for the live lesson, click here.
