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.
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
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
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
