#597: More responses to the proposed subject content

I've been keeping an eye on the response to the confirmation that the GCSE Natural History will go ahead, and the publication of proposed subject content for the awarding bodies to work with after a period of consultation.

Steve Backshall was involved in the publicity around the launch and said...

"I’ve spent my life exploring the furthest reaches of the globe – from ocean depths to mountain summits – and the natural world never stops surprising me. That sense of discovery is something every young person deserves to feel, and this GCSE could be the thing that sparks it.

Getting students outside for real fieldwork – studying everything from urban parks to coastal salt marshes – is exactly how you build a genuine connection with nature. That hands-on experience isn’t just brilliant for the soul, it builds the kind of scientific and analytical skills that will serve them well in future life.

We’re asking this generation to confront some of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced – biodiversity loss, climate change, species extinction. This qualification gives them the knowledge and the tools to not just understand those challenges, but to be part of the solution."

It's described in The Manc as a "landmark moment for education".

Elena Lengthorn appeared in the local paper.

Elena Lengthorn, University Lead Mentor for PGCE Geography at the University of Worcester, who has played a key role in shaping the qualification as part of national advisory panels, said: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a qualification that could transform how young people engage with the natural world.

"This qualification will not only deepen understanding of the natural world but also develop practical and analytical skills that are essential for the fast-growing green economy."

There's also been a welcome from the Wildlife Trusts. Their Head of Health and Education, Dom Higgins is quoted in this piece.

He says:

There is a biodiversity layer that lives in and on the human body, including the gut, skin and airways. We are learning more and more every day that health is linked to surroundings – and so to the ecological health of what's around us. The first thousand days of human life – when the brain and body are most rapidly developing – are crucial.’

Being outdoors in nature stimulates changes in our bodies – the "feel-good" chemicals start to fire – specifically increasing the production of endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin.

There is also that very 'human' factor in terms of triggering memories. Experiencing beauty in nature can trigger a sense of "wonder". This emotional response grounds us in the present moment, making experiences feel more significant and memorable.


He also provides some good examples of how educators can re-connect young people with nature.

‘Listen to and then use children's interests to link to nature. They're into gaming? Ask what they have built in Minecraft or Roblox; bring the conversation round to nature.’

‘They're into football? Ask how they wind down after a match; what's the place like where they play – can they see trees? Ever spent time with them after a match? Try it!’

‘Find the links to what you are teaching that day,’ he says. ‘There are science, maths and stories out there; relive history through the rings in trees, count the bugs and flowers in squares of grass, hear a story and recreate it outside, talk about different religions' views of nature and the importance of caring for it.’

Where possible, a whole-school approach can secure parent and carer permission for local off-site walks, cutting administrative burdens and including families in decision-making and activities, if they are able to.

Higgins concludes: ‘You would be amazed where you can create nature in school grounds where there is none. Get in touch with your local Wildlife Trust to see what can be done.’

#499: The Boar: a timely piece

Via my Google Alert that I set up for the term 'GCSE Natural History' is a piece in The Boar by Megan Denham.

Founded in 1973, The Boar is the University of Warwick’s award-winning student newspaper and the only student-run print newspaper on campus. 

The paper is run by students, for students and all editorial board and business team positions are voluntary. With a reach of approximately 33,000 students and staff on campus, the newspaper is printed monthly during term time.

It points to a general lack of climate change mentions in the curriculum, which doesn't mean it isn't taught of course. My school doesn't follow the national curriculum along with a great many others...

On the GCSE Natural History as a possible addition, it says:

In an attempt for greater climate inclusion, a new Natural History GCSE is being introduced across the UK – the result of a campaign led by naturalist Mary Colwell. The government says: “The new Natural History qualification will enable young people to explore the world by learning about organisms and environments, environmental and sustainability issues, and gain a deeper knowledge of the natural world around them.”

On the surface, this seems to be a significant step toward integrating more in-depth climate education into secondary schools. On the other hand, the efficacy of the course relies on its uptake by students (although the research by Mental Health UK suggests that there would be many students open to learning more about climate change). The implementation of the course also requires teaching staff able to deliver the content across all UK secondary schools, and, fundamentally, it does not address the UK-wide lack of cross-curricular climate education.

#472: Country Life - resetting our children's connection to nature

A good piece in Country Life, which can be read on their website currently.

It quotes Andrew Millham, a writer and Forest School teacher, who says that educational efforts to do this:

"must include the undiluted Natural History GCSE that Mary Colwell and others fought for for more than a decade and which the Labour Government has now approved. Approving it is one thing, however — having worked alongside Mary for many years, I know that it runs the constant risk of being watered down, of getting lost somewhere between geography and biology, of being based on words and not observation and of being starved of the money needed to get students, particularly urban students, out into the natural world on a regular basis....we know that there is a thirst for this course from both teachers and students, a thirst that has to be matched with money and support by the Department for Education. The politicians want it, but we will wait to be convinced that their senior civil servants do."

The piece finishes with a quote from Mary Colwell:

‘The greatest gift we can give to the Earth is a new generation of Nature-literate young people who know, understand and care for this incredible planet. We are not a collection of objects, but a communion of subjects, interdependent and co-creators living together. Nature education is not optional; it is vital to the future of life on Earth."

#369: Back to School for the National Education Nature Park

...for the second year of this project... plenty of things planned during the year ahead...

They have launched a Hidden Nature Challenge to be completed in October, with a chance to win some prizes.

#330: Wildlife Trusts and Living Landscapes: Cley Marshes

Cley Marshes Reserve is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. 

It is an important place in the history of British birdwatching and conservation.

Its education centre was opened by Sir David Attenborough, who described the place as being particularly significant in these respects.

It also has a rather wonderful view of the reserve and hides heading out to the shingle beach, which can be enjoyed with a cheese and tomato toastie if you're feeling peckish.

There's a good visitor centre space with a series of different art exhibitions and several purchasing opportunities.

The reserve talks about this landscape being a "living landscape" and "a living coast".

It changes twice a day with the tide.

Follow them on Twitter here.

#209: Plantlife

Plantlife is one of the organisations which will be on the list we will create, identifying websites of groups which may well prove useful for teachers preparing to teach the new specification.

The organisation has the following Mission:

Our mission is to secure a world rich in wild plants and fungi.

Wild plants and fungi underpin the health of our environment. They can help us to resolve the climate, ecological and societal challenges which we face.

Protecting them will lead to a world full of colour, beauty and life while allowing the plants and the animals which depend on them to thrive.

Those teaching the specification might be interested in their strategy document. There are opportunities for schools to get involved in their work.

The Advice and Learning section of the website is worth visiting too.

This includes a learning section to help identify plants and fungi with an illustrated database of plants and fungi which are searchable on a number of criteria.

There is also a Meadows Hub giving advice on how to manage this sort of ecosystem. I have blogged about this separately.

#175: Oxford University Museum of Natural History

This is a place which should definitely be on a list of places to visit for those who want to explore palaeontology and see a wealth of artefacts from various historical periods. It is next door to the wonderful Pitt Rivers Museum, which is an anthropological treasure house as well, and will have its own post on the blog. If you can get to Oxford, this is well worth a look.

 The Palaeontology page is good. They have artefacts from William Buckland and Mary Anning in their collection. The building is dramatic and impressive and based over several floors. The pillars are made from different rock types, which covers geology as well.

I've visited a few times.

Image: Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license

Over half a million of the museum's collection of items have now been digitised and can be accessed online.

The museum also offers a range of learning workshops, including some for GCSE. One can imagine that if the new specification offers a suitable structure for these that the museum might develop something specifically for the GCSE Natural History.

#45: Royal Horticultural Society projects

There have been two projects started by the Royal Horticultural Society relatively recently which may be of interest to schools. 

If I was to teach the new specification I think I would want to make it as active as possible, with students involved in practical actions to help natural history in some way, whether throuth citizen science, or through nature conservation projects.

The first one was from November 2022

It is a partnership with the Natural History Museum and the DfE.

The second was announced recently, and relates to hedges.

This explores their link to greener schools.

This is a two year project.

Image: Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license