Supporting schools in embedding the Nature Park: CAPE’s commitment to high-quality professional development
Over the last few months, we’ve been working with CAPE (Climate Adapted Pathways for Education) to pilot embedding the Nature Park within their existing professional development programme. Heena Dave, Co-Founder of CAPE, shares the story so far and how they are aiming to ensure that the National Education Nature Park is not just an initiative schools engage with but a core part of how children learn about and interact with the natural world around them.
Integrating the National Education Nature Park into school communities
At CAPE (Climate Adapted Pathways for Education), we believe high-quality climate change education is crucial for equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills needed to respond to environmental challenges. As a Professional Development Affiliate of the National Education Nature Park, we’re supporting schools in meaningfully incorporating the Nature Park into their curriculum, ensuring it is both rigorous and impactful. We’re committed to providing all children with access to climate change education that enhances their understanding of ecological systems, supports biodiversity, and enables a deeper connection to the natural world.
Through our Climate Wise Schools Professional Development Programme, we’re equipping school and subject leaders with the knowledge and hands on skills to integrate the Nature Park into teaching and learning: ensuring that school grounds are improved for biodiversity, that children and young people develop a stronger connection to nature and that they understand the impact of climate change on their local environment. Our work is focused on supporting educators to make these essential opportunities part of everyday learning, so that children and young people not only engage with nature but also develop the knowledge and skills to care for it. By working alongside educators in schools, we aim to ensure that the National Education Nature Park is not just an initiative schools engage with but a core part of how children learn about and interact with the natural world around them.
Voices from a school community on the Nature Park
REAch2 Academy Trust is one of the school communities that we’ve been collaborating with.
The National Education Nature Park provides a structured approach to school grounds improvement while ensuring that children are engaged in meaningful, hands-on learning. The five-step cycle offers a framework that builds confidence among colleagues and ensures that children understand the real-world impact of their actions. At REAch2, we’re embedding climate change education across our schools through Carbon Literacy Training and Climate Wise Schools, with the Nature Park playing a key role in connecting children to their environment and encouraging meaningful action.”
Elaine Brook, Head of Sustainability at REAch2 Academy Trust
The National Education Nature Park is committed to empowering children and young people by amplifying their voices, supporting them to take an active role in shaping the future of their local environment. In this space, children and young people are decision-makers, collaborating to identify the improvements they want to see in nature and tackling environmental challenges with teachers and school leaders. For the children at REAch2 Academy Trust, experiences with the Nature Park have sparked a deeper connection to the world around them, supporting a shared commitment to environmental stewardship:
"I liked doing the Hidden Nature Challenge; it helped me really look at what was in my school and think about how we can make it better.”
“I didn’t realise how big our school is. We are allowed to use more of the outside space now, and we get to find out about the plants and animals that live here. I like that we are spending more time learning outside.”
“When I am feeling worried or upset, I like to go outside and spend time looking at the plants and animals. It helps me stay calm.”
As highlighted by the experiences at REAch2 Academy Trust, the Nature Park sparks curiosity, strengthens connections to nature, and provides meaningful opportunities for school communities to contribute to the wellbeing of their environment. This catalyst for change ensures that children and young people not only discover the natural world around them but can also actively protect it.
The role of high-quality professional development in embedding the Nature Park
Educators in schools play a vital role in ensuring that the National Education Nature Park is embedded into their curriculum, rather than it being just an occasional outdoor experience. Through our Climate Wise Schools Professional Development Programme, we’re supporting school and subject leaders to integrate the Nature Park into the curriculum in a way that strengthens subject learning while deepening children and young people’s understanding of climate change and its impact on local habitats. By improving school grounds to enhance biodiversity, school communities can create spaces where children and young people can develop a meaningful connection with nature, benefiting both their learning and wellbeing. Our approach is rooted in high-quality, evidence-informed professional development, equipping educators with the confidence to deliver climate change education that is rigorous, relevant, and impactful.
The National Education Nature Park is supporting children and young people to develop the knowledge and skills to care for our planet. By actively providing opportunities to interact with nature, schools can ensure that children and young people have the confidence and sense of responsibility to look after the environment, empowering them to make a positive impact in their communities. CAPE plays a crucial role in supporting the implementation of this initiative by offering professional development to educators, equipping them with the knowledge and support needed to effectively implement the Nature Park into their teaching and deepen children and young people’s understanding of environmental issues.
We’re excited to keep working with the Nature Park team to support even more educators to implement the Nature Park programme in their schools, nurseries and colleges, to benefit nature and young people across the country as much as possible!
Find out more about CAPE and what's next
We are committed to building on the professional development we have created in collaboration with the National Education Nature Park team. By drawing on feedback from our evaluation with school and subject leaders, we will continue to refine and expand our support, increasing teacher confidence and the resourcing of the Nature Park in schools. Our vision is to embed the Nature Park as a lasting feature of school communities, ensuring its long-term implementation enhances learning, supports biodiversity, and deepens the connection between children, young people, and the natural world.
To learn more about our work and how we support schools, visit www.capealliance.org.uk to explore our reports, research, and ways to get in touch. We work in collaboration with a range of expert partners to support climate change education in schools, ensuring it is evidence-informed, impactful, and embedded within school communities.