Apply for Climate School 180 in 2025

New year, new venture? As Climate School 180 applications re-open for 2025, discover the ‘what, why, and how’ of this amazing project.

As we move into a new term (and a new year!), Learning through Landscapes are delighted to announce that Climate School 180 re-opens for applications on Monday 13 January 2025!

This fully-funded project is open to all primary and secondary state schools within the UK. For schools in England, the project will support the aims of the Department for Education’s sustainability and climate change strategy for education, which requires that “by 2025, all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan.”

So, what does the Climate School 180 project entail, why is it important, and how can it benefit you?

What does the Climate School 180 project entail?

Working collaboratively alongside a trained member of the LtL delivery team, schools enrolled in the Climate School 180 project will be supported to address the impact of climate change within their school grounds, planning for sustainable changes which can be implemented across their site.

Part of this process involves the completion of an in-depth climate audit of the school grounds and buildings, which can be reviewed and referenced throughout the project and beyond. These resources and training will support school leaders to systematically identify and begin to initiate long-term, nature-based solutions to help contribute to the school’s climate resilience.

Why is Climate School 180 important?

The project, delivered in partnership with several organisations including the University of Stirling, further aims to support educators to empower children through quality climate education. Through this, pupils will become stewards of their environment, positively engaged in addressing the challenges posed by climate change now and in the future. Using school grounds as a part of the climate change curriculum will ensure that pupils can contextualise their learning. Climate School 180 Project Manager, Holly Willmott, says:

Connecting with nature in a meaningful way, through outdoor learning and play, can help reduce pupils’ anxiety, while providing context for discussions about climate change.

Holly states that the project seeks to bridge the gap in teachers’ knowledge of climate change and its global impact, which will build confidence in addressing pupils’ worries and concerns, adding:

I believe that developing pupils’ constructive hope through quality climate education is crucial.

How could you benefit from Climate School 180?

During spring 2024, Learning through Landscapes worked closely with a group of schools to deliver and review the Climate School 180 project. A staff member from one of these pathfinder schools said:

The course provided us time to discuss with experts how to improve our school and time to talk about things when working in a school in invaluable.

With a delivery team with many years of experience of working in education, LtL are well-placed to support schools with the challenge of fitting climate education into a busy calendar. Reflecting on the need to ensure robust curriculum links, another teacher from a pathfinder school felt that:

Climate School 180 has helped to sharpen our curriculum with specific reference to climate action.