What made you choose invertebrate diversity as your investigation topic?
Researcher: So for the project with school, we decided to look at insect, well, invertebrate diversity in different habitat types. And so we chose different areas within the school grounds. They conveniently had a wooded area, a big grass and a big grass field. So that kind of made two very different habitats.
How did you structure the activities?
Researcher: We had some classroom sessions where the students came up with some predictions about what they thought might happen. And so we did that before we set out the pitfall traps. Then we left the pitfall traps for about a week and then the kids all went out and we went and had a look to see what we could find. I also went in for an extra session towards the end where I just happened to have some moth traps. So we set up some moth traps again in different places in the school grounds.
What surprised you most?
Researcher: I think it’s a year four class and I’d never taught them (that age) before. So that was quite different. The way that the knowledge the children had and also kind of the biases the children already had, like against the natural world – that already seemed to be embedded in them. They didn’t care. But equally, when prodded and given the encouragement, they’re very quickly engaged with that kind of thing.
What have you taken from this experience?
Researcher: For me, it made me think a bit more about how we teach it and how we as a university engage with primary level education. For me, that was quite useful because I am a teacher full time basically at university. So seeing it at primary school end is quite interesting.
What happens next?
Researcher: I’m looking at applying for a partnership grant. We’re going to look at invertebrate diversity in different patches of the playground in the school. And then we’re going to dig up what is grass or just bare earth and lay some wildflower turf onto those areas. And then the children will then come back the following year. Then when they’re in year two, they’ll go back again and then quantify the insects they see in those patches and see if there’s a measured increase in diversity or abundance of these insects. If schools can do that, and if we can show that we can even just like cutting up a 20 metres squared of playing grass and replacing it with wildflower turf, and it looks nice too.
What made you choose air quality as your investigation topic?
Teacher: I became involved through our school’s science quality mark process. The research team sent out information, and air quality stood out to me because it felt relevant and achievable. Our STEM partner was brilliant – she works in public health at the council, so she brought this whole other dimension. She helped us realise the connection between planetary health and public health and air quality.
Researcher: I work across several roles-council, university lecturer in materials engineering, evaluation lead-so I was looking for something that bridged those worlds. Indoor air quality monitoring fit perfectly. I wanted to co-design everything with the teacher and children rather than arriving with a predetermined agenda.
How did you structure the activities?
Teacher: We did it in a couple of stages, so we kind of broadened it each time. They started by looking just in their classroom. We were able to compare different areas of the classroom-by the window, by the door, next to the desk. Then we eventually got to a point where the children were taking the air quality monitors to different places around the school to compare the air quality around the school with the classroom. We looked at lichens as well as natural air quality monitors because we’re a concrete jungle. We don’t have a field, there’s no grass, there’s not very many trees. So the children also don’t have very much access to that.
Researcher: I produced slide decks and sorting activities for the children and alongside the teacher, the teacher then turned these into laminated resource kits that they could spread amongst the school. The scientific process-designing a hypothesis, collecting data properly, analysing it, thinking about conclusions. But also-and this matters-considering your audience. How do you present this so it actually changes something? How does it affect human health and climate health around you?
What surprised you most?
Teacher: We had this moment where there was a fire at a nearby building and the air quality monitors were alarming. The children wrote down: there is a fire over the road. So we plotted the results and saw the anomalies-and they connected that to outdoor pollutants affecting indoor air quality. It wasn’t a lesson. It was real discovery happening in front of them.
Researcher: It felt collaborative. It felt natural. It felt like a learning environment. It felt like it was reflective. It was everything and more I hoped it to be. I recognised that she was an absolute specialist in terms of teaching and understanding the audience that is year 4 and she recognised that I was an expert in the room around research design methodology and climate science.
What have you taken from this experience?
Teacher: I’d probably run it again, but I’d want more time to deepen it even further. The momentum was there. Children would come in with questions; parents would ask about air quality at home. That tells you something is working.
Researcher: The co-design methodology, it brought a lot to my learning. I have my preconceived ideas of what I gave to them, but they certainly gave that opportunity to co-design and following that type of methodology, it brought a lot to my learning. This approach showcasing a journey through video rather than a report, I’ve now taken into other projects and other areas of my work entirely.
What happens next?
Teacher: It built my confidence a lot in the knowledge of the topic and being able to deliver that to children. On the strength of this project, I went to a climate conference at Sheffield Hallam, and I’ve unofficially taken on the role of eco ambassador at school. I’m planning climate literacy lessons for reception children next year-there’s literally nothing out there for that age group, so I’m creating it myself. The confidence this gave me… I wouldn’t have done that before.
Researcher: I’ve also offered out the lichen air quality monitoring to schools, so there’s regional reach for you. I delivered this in Rotherham and now I’ve proposed to move it to schools and handed them my pack of things to do at a Doncaster school.
A Royal Society Partnership Grant Seed Award project connecting South Yorkshire primary schools with university STEM professionals for authentic climate education.
The Project
Funded by the Royal Society through a Partnership Grant Seed Award, the project connected 25 South Yorkshire primary schools with university-based STEM professionals to deliver authentic climate and sustainability investigations rooted in local contexts. The project ran across two cohorts between September 2024 and March 2026.
CPD delivery for teachers and STEM researchers
Why this mattered
South Yorkshire ranks in the top ten nationally for STEM research funding, yet the region scores significantly lower on cultural engagement with science. The expertise existed but wasn’t reaching children and communities in schools. We deliberately focused on schools with high proportions of children on free school meals, high SEND, or pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The expertise was there. It just needed connecting.
The project had four core aims:
To engage children in authentic scientific enquiry linked to their local environment
To build teachers’ confidence and subject knowledge in climate science
To support STEM professionals in developing their science communication and public engagement skills
To create lasting connections between schools and universities that could be sustained through future funding
Wildlife Camera capturing ‘who came to tea’ in an infant school in the project
What we did
Investigations were drawn from a menu of themes including air quality, biodiversity, renewable energy generation, sustainable drainage systems, and energy efficiency in school buildings. Each school and STEM professional pair was encouraged to tailor their chosen topic to their community, so the science children were investigating was rooted in their own place.
The project included:
A full-day training event at the start, covering climate science policy, investigation equipment, and partnership building
Ongoing mentoring and support from Sheffield Hallam University’s research team
Access to investigation kits and specialist resources from partners including Solar for Schools and the National Education Nature Park
Celebration events at Sheffield Hallam University where schools came together to share their findings
What we found
The evidence from our research shows significant impact across all participants. We gathered data through interviews and surveys with teachers and STEM professionals, with ethics approval from Sheffield Hallam University (ER78155981).
For children
“You don’t see them, right? And then you see them in a pitfall trap and it’s like, oh my god, llok, it’s loaded. I think it’s really useful for them to actually see there is a huge diversity of life, even if you can’t immediately see it.”Researcher, invertebrate diversity project
Across every interview and most survey responses, children’s enthusiasm and curiosity stood out as one of the project’s most powerful outcomes. This engagement rarely stayed inside the classroom. Children took their learning home, told their parents, and in several cases sparked interest from siblings and other year groups.
Children’s engagement was deepest when the science felt relevant to their own lives. The air quality projects found powerful local hooks: the road outside school, the traffic at drop-off time, a nearby fire showing up on the monitor.
“We were amazed to see the badgers, foxes, squirrels and other animals. The children told their classes about the rhythms and routines they observed – the badger, fox and squirrels all had very set night-time routines and patterns.”Teacher, biodiversity and wildlife camera project
Several participants noted that investigative learning creates space for children who struggle in other contexts to find their footing and be heard.
Children became innovators through unique research in their local area
For teachers
“It built my confidence a lot in the knowledge of the topic and being able to deliver that to children. On the strength of this project, I went to a climate conference at Sheffield Hallam, and I’ve unofficially taken on the role of eco ambassador at school.”Teacher, air quality project
All three teachers interviewed described significant growth in their own confidence and motivation as a result of the project. For some this was primarily about subject knowledge; for others it was about finding new ways to structure learning and involve children in genuine enquiry.
The confidence gain was also about recognising that the project could be sustained independently. Several teachers described feeling equipped to run investigations again without the STEM professional, representing a shift in capacity rather than dependency.
“We are able to do it now without our partner, much as we’d love to have her in again. My colleague and I think, actually, we could do that again. We’ve got it all recorded, so we can replicate it quite well.”Teacher, air quality project
Professor Kaisu Koski, visiting her partner school
For STEM professionals
“If I ask a question to 80 undergrads, not one person answers. If you ask a Year 4 class, the whole room puts their hand up. The kids are just interested. I find that, honestly, wonderful.” Researcher, water and flooding project
For STEM professionals, the project offered something different from their usual working environment: an audience that was unreservedly curious, and a challenge requiring them to think carefully about how they explain what they know.
For those earlier in their careers, including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, the project built confidence in public engagement and science communication. More established researchers reflected on how the experience had challenged their assumptions about what primary-age children already know.
“I hadn’t appreciated how broad the knowledge base of children of that age is. Some of them I could have taken into my undergraduate classes and they’d have been fine. Others were all keen, but no. I have nothing but admiration for teachers who do that every day.” Researcher, water and flooding project
University students and school pupils undertaking data collection into wildlife in their local area
The quality of partnerships
The partnerships between teachers and STEM professionals were at the heart of the project. The best partnerships were characterised by mutual respect, flexibility, and a sense that both people brought something distinct and valuable.
“She recognised that I was an expert in research design and climate science. I recognised that she was a specialist in understanding Year 4. Both of us drew out what that could look like together.”Researcher, air quality project
What we learned for next time
Not every partnership worked as smoothly from the start. One recurring issue was uncertainty about roles in the classroom. Setting clearer expectations upfront about what STEM professionals can offer would help. Beyond partnerships, we found that:
School capacity is genuinely tight. Every school that joined the project completed something. No school disengaged entirely, which in a sector under these pressures is a real achievement.
University and school calendars don’t align, creating practical difficulties particularly during exam seasons and term-end periods.
Fixed-term contracts in higher education create barriers to continuity for researchers who want to take next steps.
DBS checks need early planning. The time taken to process checks caused delays for some STEM professionals.
Parent communications from one school
What came next (as of June 2026)
One of the most positive things about the evidence is how much has already happened beyond the formal boundaries of the project:
The Ripple Effect
Three schools have already applied for full Royal Society Partnership Grants
One researcher has had a Partnership Grant approved and is planning a longitudinal invertebrate diversity study with wildflower turf installation
Teachers have embedded new approaches across the curriculum and plan to scale to other year groups
One researcher shared the lichen air quality monitoring approach with another school in Doncaster
Children have taken scientific vocabulary and methods back to parents in ways that were often unprompted and surprising
One school has repeated the project with another year group and will be applying for funding to further develop their activities.
“We started small and then it was like, oh, but we could do this, and this, and this. It felt like a taster of what we could do. I’d love to give that opportunity to more children, not just two classes.” Teacher, air quality project
One school produced a film documenting all their project activity. This was showcased at Sheffield Hallam University to parents and carers.
Partners: Royal Society (funders), Sheffield Hallam University, University of Sheffield, Solar for Schools, National Education Nature Park, Energy Heroes and Climate Ambassadors.
Resources and further information
All resources and materials from the project are available on our blog pages, including investigation guidance, equipment specifications, and reflective materials.
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.
