Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding he has allocated to environmental education in schools; and if he will make a statement.

It is important that children are taught about the environment. During Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds), pupils are taught about the seasons and habitats, including content about daily weather patterns in the UK. The Key Stage 2 (7 11-year olds) science curriculum further develops pupils’ understanding of the climate and habitats of plants and animals. They will also look at how environments can change, which can include the impact of human actions.

In Key Stage 3 science (11-14 year olds), pupils are taught about ecosystems, including how changes in the environment affect different species and the importance of maintaining biodiversity. They are also taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. This is expanded on in Key Stage 4 science (14-16 year olds), where pupils will consider the evidence for anthropogenic causes of climate change. As part of Key Stage 3 geography, pupils will look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards.

In 2017, the Department introduced a new environmental science A level. This will enable pupils to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled.

The Department is improving the quality of science teaching by funding high-quality professional development through the national network of 41 Science Learning Partnerships and Project Enthuse bursaries. We are also offering incentives to attract more science graduates into teaching, including bursaries of £26,000 and scholarships of £28,000 to attract top science graduates into teaching.