Environmental Education

Environmental Education has an important contribution to make to the work of schools in promoting the spiritual, moral, and cultural developments of pupils and preparing pupils for the " opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life" as required by the 1988 Education Reform Act.

Environmental Education aims to:

• provide all pupils with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills required to engage effectively with environmental issues including those for sustainable development;
• encourage pupils to examine interpret the environment from a variety of perspectives - physical, geographical, biological, sociological, economic, political, technological, historical, aesthetic, ethical and spiritual;
• arouse pupils' awareness and curiosity about the environment and encourage active participation in resolving environmental problems .

Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship at Key Stage 2

In the 1999 review of the National Curriculum, the Secretary of State proposes for the first time, a framework for PSHE and citizenship in all key stages. These wider aspects of the curriculum can give pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding to become informed, active and responsible citizens. These can be taught through opportunities to:

• take responsibility - for example, for their environment by helping to reduce, recycle and re-use waste from their home.
• participate - for example, in the decision making process about reducing the amount of waste paper I their school.
• Make real choices and decisions – decide to reuse waste paper in classroom.
• meet and talk with people - for example, local environmental groups.