Author: Lee Jowett

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Adapt-Ed: Climate Adaptation through Education

About the project

Adapt-Ed is a collaborative project led by Sheffield Hallam University, working with The Green Estate, Sheffield City Council and Let’s Go Zero to support primary schools in responding to climate change.

Focusing on flooding, overheating and water scarcity, the project helps schools in Sheffield’s most climate-vulnerable communities to understand local risks and take practical action.

Through a combination of teacher development, curriculum innovation and outdoor learning, Adapt-Ed demonstrates how education can play a central role in building climate resilience—both within schools and across communities.

Project Team

Why Adapt-Ed matters

Climate change is already affecting schools in the UK. Rising temperatures, increased flood risk and water stress are disrupting learning environments and disproportionately impacting disadvantaged communities.

Despite this, much of the focus in education has been on reducing emissions, rather than preparing for the impacts of climate change.

Adapt-Ed addresses this gap by:

  • Bringing climate adaptation into everyday teaching
  • Connecting learning to local, real-world risks
  • Supporting schools to become community hubs for resilience

Sheffield provides an ideal context—combining high flood risk, urban heat island effects and socio-economic inequalities—making the learning both urgent and highly relevant.

What we’re doing

Adapt-Ed works with five primary schools, up to 10 teachers and around 300 pupils.

Key activities include:

  • Teacher CPD
    Bespoke training to help teachers embed climate adaptation into the curriculum using research-informed approaches.
  • Curriculum development
    Co-designed lessons focused on:
    • Flood risk and resilience
    • Drought and water scarcity
    • Overheating and urban heat
    • Food systems and nature-based solutions
  • Outdoor and experiential learning
    Hands-on sessions delivered with The Green Estate, linking classroom learning to real environments.
  • School-based action
    Supporting schools to integrate adaptation into their climate action plans and implement practical changes on site.
  • Community engagement
    Showcases and events to involve families and amplify local voices in climate decision-making.

Our approach

Adapt-Ed combines research, practice and community engagement through a mixed-methods, participatory approach.

We:

  • Co-design learning with teachers and partners
  • Use place-based, creative and experiential methods
  • Apply Sheffield Hallam’s Research-Informed Climate Education (RICE) framework
  • Continuously adapt delivery based on feedback and evidence

This ensures the project is both rigorous and practical, with immediate benefits for schools and transferable learning for others.

What difference will it make?

For pupils

  • Increased understanding of climate risks
  • Stronger connection to nature
  • Greater confidence and agency to act

For teachers

  • Improved confidence to teach climate adaptation
  • Access to high-quality, adaptable resources

For schools

  • Integration of adaptation into climate action planning
  • Practical steps towards more resilient buildings and grounds

For communities

  • Greater awareness and engagement with local climate risks
  • Opportunities to shape local policy and action

Beyond Sheffield

The project will produce case studies, resources and policy insights, shared nationally through networks such as Let’s Go Zero, helping scale impact across the UK.

Partners

Adapt-Ed is delivered through a strong partnership:

  • Sheffield Hallam University – Project lead, research and evaluation
  • The Green Estate – Delivery of outdoor learning and community engagement
  • Sheffield City Council – Policy alignment through Built for Change
  • Let’s Go Zero – National dissemination and scaling

Timeline

  • March 2026 – Project launch
  • Spring–Summer 2026 – CPD, curriculum delivery and school activities
  • Summer 2026 – School showcases
  • Autumn 2026 – Final evaluation and dissemination

Get involved

We’re keen to connect with:

  • Schools interested in climate adaptation education
  • Local and national partners
  • Researchers and practitioners
  • Policy and sector organisations

Get in touch to collaborate, learn more or explore how Adapt-Ed can support your work.

Contact

Lee Jowett
Sheffield Hallam University
Climate Change and Sustainability Research Fellow

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Expression of Interest: Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists (Primary CPD + STEM Professional Support)

Sheffield Hallam University is recruiting 25 South Yorkshire primary schools to take part in an exciting programme supporting primary pupils (Y1-Y6) to run hands-on STEM investigations linked to climate change and biodiversity in their local area.

The programme is designed to strengthen working scientifically, build confidence in teaching climate-related science, and connect schools with STEM professionals (including postgraduate researchers and academics) who can bring real-world research and inspiration into the classroom.

We are in the process of applying for funding (deadline 27 February 2026) and will know the outcome before the end of the summer term. The programme will start in September 2026 and run for 3 academic years.

What schools will do

Each year, over a period of one school term (approx. 3–6 months), teachers and pupils (minimum of 30 students) will work with a matched STEM professional to plan and carry out a small-scale investigation. This might include activities such as exploring biodiversity in the school grounds, investigating local environmental change, or collecting and interpreting simple data linked to sustainability.

Each school will typically take part in:

  • 3 x in-school sessions (around 2 hours each)
    (launch / investigation support / celebration & sharing)
  • 2 online check-in sessions with your STEM professional between visits
  • Flexible planning so the investigation can be adapted to your school context and curriculum priorities

What schools will receive

Participating schools will receive:

  • Cover costs for teaching staff to attend CPD
  • Included CPD for teachers (regular online and face to face sessions + a joint workshop with STEM professionals)
  • A matched STEM professional partner to support the investigation and inspire pupils
  • Curated investigation resources and equipment (adaptable to different school contexts)
  • Ongoing support from the SHU project team throughout delivery
  • An end-of-project celebration event to share pupil learning with your school community
  • Guidance and support to apply for a £3000 Royal Society Partnership Grant, helping schools sustain and extend the work beyond the programme

Who should apply

This opportunity is ideal for:

  • Primary Science Leads
  • Senior Leaders (SLT) supporting curriculum enrichment and STEM development
  • Schools keen to build pupils’ confidence and curiosity through real investigations

📩 Register your interest now (Science Lead or SLT sign-off required):  Expression of Interest: Tomorrow’s Climate Scientists – Fill in form

📅 Places are limited and schools may be prioritised to ensure support reaches those with the greatest need.

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Climate Leaders’ Conference – Sheffield Hallam University, March 2025

The Climate Leaders’ Conference was a free, one-day professional learning event held on Thursday 6 March 2025 at Sheffield Hallam University’s City Campus. It was organised by the Institute of Education as part of its work with the Climate Action in South Yorkshire Schools and Education Settings network. The conference was fully funded by Sheffield Hallam University and aimed to support leaders across education settings to take meaningful action on climate change, sustainability and biodiversity.

The programme included keynote presentations from senior school and trust leaders, workshops from a range of national and regional partners (including Eco-Schools England, National Education Nature Park, Climate Ambassadors and academic researchers), and practical sessions on developing Climate Action Plans.

Anticipated Outcomes

Before the event, we framed several key intended outcomes for participants. By the end of the day, attendees were expected to have:

Explored opportunities for developing climate action plans and leadership structures within their settings.

Begun creating or refining a Climate Action Plan, including techniques for calculating carbon footprints.

Been signposted to organisations and programmes that can support ongoing climate and sustainability work.

Identified potential barriers to climate action and strategies to overcome them.

Recognised sources of funding and external support.

These goals aligned with national ambitions in the 2021 Department for Education Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy, which calls for every education setting to nominate a sustainability lead and have a climate action plan in place by the end of 2025.

Who Attended

The conference brought together over 150 education professionals from across the UK, including leaders from:

  • Early years settings, primary and secondary schools
  • Colleges and further education
  • Universities
  • Local authorities
  • Charities and intermediary organisations supporting education settings

Participants included trustees, governors, CEOs, heads, deputy heads, curriculum leaders, business managers, and eco-leads – with a strong emphasis on pairing eco-leads with senior leaders to maximise impact.

The day also featured contributions from a wide range of sector partners through workshop sessions and stalls, such as Carbon Literacy Project, Global Action Plan, Energy Sparks, Solar for Schools, Eco-Schools Carbon Calculator and more, enabling broad access to tools, resources and collaborative networks.

Evaluation

A longitudinal evaluation report of the conference was compiled, tracking the sustained impact of the event at three and six months after attendance. Key findings highlighted that:

  • 100% of respondents at three-months reported taking at least one action as a result of attending the conference, with many reporting multiple actions.
  • By six-months, many participants had maintained, refined or embedded their actions into ongoing practice, moving from individual efforts toward wider institutional influence.
  • Participants reported increased confidence in leading climate education and embedding sustainability within curricula and strategic planning.
  • Persistent barriers noted included time constraints, workload pressures, resource limitations, and the need for institutional support to sustain long-term change.

The evaluation concluded that the conference effectively supported capacity-building and provided a foundation for sustained climate and sustainability action, particularly where organisational leadership and structures supported follow-through and embedding of practices.

You can read about the evaluation on the research publications page.

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Project in a Box Think Climate! Celebration at Sheffield Hallam University – June 2025

For the 2024–25 academic year, Sheffield Hallam University’s Institute of Education collaborated with South Yorkshire Children’s University to launch Think Climate!, a climate-focused “Project in a Box” initiative offering eight themed, research-informed after-school sessions designed to boost pupils’ understanding of climate change, biodiversity, and local solution-focused actions, while also helping to reduce eco-anxiety.

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Carbon Literacy Training for school staff, governors and trustees

Wednesday 21 January 2026 or Thursday 12 March 2026

Who is the course for?

All school staff, including site managers, and governors with an interest in becoming carbon literate, especially those involved in teaching and leading climate change and sustainability.

Why?

  • Gain a better understanding of how climate change will affect you and those around you
  • Become an accredited Carbon Literate individual who can then deliver the schools
    course yourself
  • Acquire knowledge and skills to develop your own responses to lowering your carbon footprint, and the carbon footprint of others

Your commitments

  • Undertake approximately 1.5hr of pre-work
  • Attend the day of learning
  • Create at least one significant action, as an individual, to reduce your own personal
    carbon footprint
  • Create at least one significant action involving other people to reduce the collective footprint of your education setting
  • Complete an open book assessment on the day

The cost to attend is £75 per person. This includes lunch, refreshments and external certification. Invoices will be sent to settings after the event.

The course uses the brand new Carbon Literacy Toolkit for Schools and is delivered by Lee Jowett, Climate Change and Sustainability Research Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University. He has over 20 years experience working in education, 10 years as a secondary teacher in Sheffield. He has also been a governor and MAT trustee for over 10 years. He has delivered over 30 Carbon Literacy courses.

Book your place today via Eventbrite.

Carbon Literacy for School StaffDownload
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EcoTeachMeet at Abbey School, Rotherham

In October 2025, Abbey School in Rotherham hosted an inspiring EcoTeachMeet, bringing together teachers, support staff and partners to explore how sustainability can be woven through everyday school life. The event offered a brilliant opportunity to see what Abbey has been doing to champion environmental learning, as well as to share ideas that other schools can adapt to their own contexts.

The afternoon included with a warm welcome from staff and a tour of the school’s growing range of eco-focused equipment and spaces. Staff were able to see how classrooms, outdoor areas and play spaces are being used to support pupils’ learning about biodiversity, food and wellbeing. From simple tools and sensory resources to more innovative outdoor installations developed with partners such as Lightmain

Short, punchy TeachMeet-style presentations showcased how this equipment is being used in real lessons—linking sustainability to science, as well as to communication and life skills. Colleagues shared honest reflections on what has worked, what needed tweaking and how pupils have responded, particularly those with more complex needs. The informal format created plenty of space for questions, peer support and spontaneous problem-solving.

Crucially, the EcoTeachMeet helped to strengthen a network of educators across South Yorkshire who are keen to move from good intentions to practical climate action in schools. Participants left with concrete ideas they could try the very next week, as well as new contacts to collaborate with in the future.

Special thanks go to Jill and Holly from Abbey School for hosting such a warm and well-organised event, and to Avika from Lightmain for sharing her expertise on creating sustainable, engaging play and learning environments. Their combined enthusiasm and leadership made the EcoTeachMeet a real catalyst for ongoing change.

You can find out more about Playponics on the slides below.

Playponics IntroductionDownload

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Sheffield Family Hub Infant Feeding Team

Sheffield Family Hubs’ Infant Feeding Team offers free, curriculum-linked lessons for both primary and secondary schools.

  • Primary (Year 5 Science – The Science of Mammal Milk)
    This interactive session supports the Animals, including humans and Living things and their habitats topics. Pupils explore what makes a mammal, how milk varies between species to meet their young’s needs, and the unique living properties of human breastmilk. Teachers report strong curriculum links and high pupil engagement.
  • Secondary (Citizenship & Science – The Green Parenting Project and KS3 Science lessons)
    Secondary students can take part in The Green Parenting Project, a five-session programme on sustainability, consumer choices, and environmentally friendly parenting. Additionally, tailored science lessons cover the microbiome and the biology of breastfeeding, linking directly to KS3 learning objectives.

Schools can book these free lessons by contacting the Infant Feeding Team at lauren.mysiw@sheffield.gov.uk

Family Hubs Free Primary School Science LessonDownload
Family Hubs Free Secondary ProjectDownload
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Think Climate! with South Yorkshire’s Children’s University

South Yorkshire Children’s University helps children and young people build essential life skills through learning activities outside of the classroom. For over a decade, Children’s University has been supporting thousands of pupils across Sheffield – and more recently in Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley to grow their confidence, motivation and self-esteem. Research shows that children who take part in Children’s University activities not only enjoy richer experiences, but also achieve higher results in school, including SATs and GCSEs.

Wildflower greetings card activity – provided by participating school

Project in a Box

One of South Yorkshire Children’s University’s most successful initiatives is Project in a Box – a ready-made resource kit that enables schools to run engaging after-school clubs for groups of 12 or more pupils. Staff are supported through training sessions before delivering six to eight weeks of activities, all leading to a celebratory event where pupils showcase their learning and take part in themed challenges.

Celebration event at Sheffield Hallam University – Institute of Education

Think Climate!

For the 2024/25 academic year, Sheffield Hallam University partnered with Children’s University to launch the Think Climate! edition of Project in a Box. Developed by academic staff at the Sheffield Institute of Education (SIOE), the programme introduces pupils to climate change and biodiversity through a positive, research-informed approach. The focus is on increasing young people’s sense of agency and reducing eco-anxiety by highlighting local solutions and actions they can take.

Teacher CPD on climate education and using the box

The project offers:

  • 8 themed sessions designed around climate change and sustainability.
  • Teacher training and CPD to support confident delivery.
  • Creative resources and incentives including craft activities and children’s books linked to environmental themes.
  • Celebration events where schools and pupils come together to share achievements.
Students participating in the celebration event day at Sheffield Hallam University

Impact and Reach

Launched in October 2024, Think Climate! has engaged nearly 50 schools across South Yorkshire – the highest number to date. Early evidence shows a positive impact on both teacher and pupil knowledge, skills, and motivation to respond to the climate and biodiversity crisis. A more formal evaluation is being undertaken and will be published soon (October 2025).

The project culminated in a celebration event taking place at the Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam in July 2025. Over 100 children and staff attended from nearly 15 schools across South Yorkshire.

This collaborative project was delivered by Sheffield Hallam University’s Institute of Education, the Civic Partnership team, and Sheffield Children’s University, with support from our funding partners.

Bath bomb making – image provided by participating school

Funding Partners

  • Sheffield Hallam University – Hallam Fund
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of Sheffield

Research Team

Project in a Box resources and education pack

Further information and links

Celebration event
Climate march at Sheffield Hallam
Climate friendly pizza designs

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Join Our Discussion on Highlighting Women in STEM: Your Insights Needed!

In 2025, the Royal Society is commemorating the 80th anniversary of the election of the first female Fellows, Kathleen Lonsdale and Marjory Stephenson, and celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). As part of this celebration, we are looking to develop resources for teachers to use in the classroom to help support and inspire more women and girls to get involved in science in the future. We are seeking your guidance to help make these resources as relevant as possible and are inviting you to participate in a discussion group about resources highlighting Women in STEM.

We would be grateful if you could sign up to one of our discussion sessions below to share your thoughts on what resources would be most useful to you.

  • Each session is scheduled for a maximum of one hour and will be conducted via Zoom.
  • The session leader will have some guiding questions, but we are most interested in hearing your perspectives – what resources you currently use to support learning about Women in STEM, and what resources would be valuable to you in the future.
  • Sessions are divided into Primary and Secondary phases; however, please feel free to attend whichever session is most convenient for you.

Primary: Monday 14 July 4:00-5:00pm [Book Monday 14 July 4pm]

Primary: Tuesday 15 July 12:30-1:30pm [Book Tuesday 15 July 12:30pm]

Secondary: Wednesday 16 July 4:00-5:00pm [Book Wednesday 16 July 4pm]

Secondary: Thursday 17 July 12:30-1:30pm [Book Thursday 17 July 12:30pm]

Open session: Thursday 17 July 4:00-5:00pm [Book Thursday 17 July 4pm]

As a thank you for taking part, we will send you a copy for your school of the Young People’s Book Prize 2024 winning book Can You Get Rainbows in Space by Dr Sheila Kanani and the 2018 Young People’s Book Prize shortlisted book Women in Science by Rachel Ignotosky.

You may also be interested in our videos on the first female Fellows of the Royal Society to share with your students.

The ethical science of Kathleen Lonsdale | The Royal Society

The scientific life of Marjory Stephenson | The Royal Society

Thank you in advance for your time, we really appreciate your help. If you have any questions, please contact the Schools Engagement Team at education@royalsociety.org