We interviewed RSPB conservational scientist, Andy Stanbury to give us the inside scoop on your most burning Big Schools' Birdwatch data-related questions.

 You can send your Big Schools' Birdwatch 2024 results until the 19th February [2024]. To take part visit www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch to register your class. Together, let's make it count!

1. How do the survey results sent in by schools help the RSPB?

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Teacher and Eco-Coordinator, Edd Moore, shares ideas from his experiences of building a nature-rich curriculum whilst protecting and restoring biodiversity with his learners in their school grounds.

(All images are supplied, and used with permission, by Edd Moore)

Note. Please ensure you are aware of the laws under the Wildlife and Countryside Act when collecting seeds.

"Since the release of the Department for Education…

We interviewed Joanne Vest, a Seasonal Learning Assistant at RSPB Salthome, who helps to deliver our Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, Quality Badge assured Schools on Reserves educational offer. To find out more about educational visits to our reserves click here.

Joanne Vest a primary school teacher of 25 years, who has a love for the outdoors and nature, was always looking for ways to incorporate the outdoors…

Find out more about how Hartford Manor Community Primary School achieved their Gold Wild Challenge award through their empowered learners. Plus, find out how they've taken their project even further by creating nature-based solutions for flooding in parts of their school.

Follow @MrBedfordsClass on X (formerly Twitter) to keep up to date with how his class' learning is delivered through nature.
All images are…

This Summer Term, the RSPB together with National Trust, Wildlife Trusts, WWF, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the Woodland Trust celebrated all the incredible efforts schools across the UK make to protect and restore nature in their school grounds through Schools For Nature.

This culminated in Schools For Nature certificates (signed by Sir David Attenborough) being awarded to hundreds of schools who had helped nature…

The 2023 Schools For Nature Survey was conducted to provide a robust baseline of two key areas: nature engagement and nature action in schools across the UK.  

The Schools For Nature baseline study attracted almost 2,000 schools across primary and secondary including state-funded, Acadamy and independent schools throughout the UK. The results provide a dataset for monitoring changes in nature engagement and nature action…

Learning through nature in Ark Tindal Primary Academy

This blog refers to a pilot teacher training delivered by the RSPB offered to Birmingham schools at present.

Wild Challenge free award scheme for schools is also referred to. All schools across the UK can participate. Click here to set up Wild Challenge for your class.

Written by, Shannon Kingston,
Ark Tindal Primary Academy,
Year 1 and Science Lead,
@MissKingTindal…

How the 'Writing from Nature' resource is developing young poets 

Written by Sean Cumming (Project Manager at the National Literacy Trust) and Rosalind Allen (RSPB Education and Families Development Officer) 

Quick links;

National Literacy Trust's 'Writing from Nature' resource

The RSPB's Wild Challenge Award scheme

 
Since its launch in April 2022, teachers across England have downloaded the free…

"A Thing that Makes me Happy"

By Sean Cumming of the National Literacy Trust

Images: Eleanor Bentall (rspb-images.com)

Poets have always been inspired by nature. We want to tap into this tradition, but rather than it being merely the subject of poetry we hope that our collaboration with the RSPB will allow pupils to both be inspired by, and learn from, the world around them.

The Young Poets programme from the…

We hear from Mrs Lowe, lower primary teacher from Aitkenhead Primary School in Glasgow, about how her class started noticing more and more about the nature in their school grounds. Inspired by pledges to help nature through COP26, the learners are leading the way by putting their pledges into action and going for gold Wild Challenge Award.

"Over the last couple of years it has become increasingly important for me to…

In the highlands of Scotland, Ava Laughton's teacher set essays based on the class's experiences of Big Schools Birdwatch 2021. Here is her full descriptive essay.

(All images by RSPB)

"There was a sheet of white snow across the ground. The sun was shining which made the snow glisten. On the shed there were small icicles, water dripping down them as the sun was shining on them. The trees had light scatterings…

Remote experiences of Big Schools' Birdwatch: Fortrose Academy Scottish Highlands

"During Lockdown in January to March 2021 our Science and English Departments got together to give our First and Second Year pupils a challenge that would help them make the most of our fantastic natural environment and wildlife, develop their skills of observation, data-collection and descriptive writing while also taking part in a…

Ridgewood school lockdown wildlife project and the UK's very first Wild Challenge electronic accolade 

 Click here to find out more about schools Wild Challenge.

Ridgewood High School in Lancashire are the first school to be awarded our new electronic accolade for achieving Gold Wild Challenge award. Now, any school who achieves Gold can share their success with others by including the Wild Challenge roundel on their…

“Mrs Infante have you seen this awesome fungus?”

Christine Infante, retired teacher and now RSPB Schools on Reserves Officer talks about how nature can be used to inspire children.

 

The question that startled me so much that I stepped back onto Tilly’s foot as I stared at the awe and wonder on Tim’s face while he cupped his hands to his cheeks with his mouth wide open in glee.  Tim had spotted the…

This Spring and Summer term brought a very different learning landscape. One which teachers used a great deal of resourcefulness, flexibility and resilience to continue to deliver the best learning outcomes for their children. Read, in her own words, how Year 2 teacher, Helen Pearson, used Wild Challenge Award to enrich her remote teaching and learning.

Pearson Primary school in Hull visited Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve and turned it into inspiration for some incredible David Hockney style artwork!

https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-trips/

We hope there can be some inspiration for outdoor learning in and out of school grounds found in the case study of Pearson Primary school's David Hockney inspired artwork along with reflections on brighter…

By Allison Briers (RSPB Schools Outreach Session Leader)

https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-outreach-visits/

We hope there can be inspiration for outdoor learning in and out of school grounds found in the thoughts of Allison sharing her experiences of art through Schools Outreach. Due to the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, for the safety of teachers, pupils and RSPB staff and…

By Rachel Gardner (RSPB Youth Council Member)

Big Schools’ Birdwatch - What can it do for your school?

Pack requests close on 2^nd February and submission of results is open now (until 21st Feb)

https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/schools-birdwatch/

This is an exciting time for young people with many young leaders taking action for nature recovery with a louder voice for conservation issues than ever before. There is a heightened awareness…

Big Schools Birdwatch at Northgate High School and Sixth Form is in Ipswich, Suffolk

Written by Gemma Irwin

We are lucky to have lots of green spaces and a supply of bird food funded by the PTA. We carried out our Big Schools Birdwatch on the afternoon of 11th December. Students who participated are members of Forefront Group, who undertake activities that enrich spoken language, encourage listening, and expand their…

Post by Miss Flo Hayles- Class 1 Teacher at Pendock Primary School

Pendock Primary School's Big Schools' Birdwatch 

 https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/schools-birdwatch/

At Pendock, we were inspired to take part in the RSPB's Big Schools' Birdwatch due to our unique rural location and recent curriculum focus. We have spent this term concentrating on local wildlife, drawing the Term to a close…

https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-trips/

By Cathy Metcalf from St Mary's R C Primary

In June I visited the Newport Wetlands with my Year 5 class. We were mid way through our Summer theme of ‘Wet and Wild’, a geography focus theme based around the River Usk which flows through our city centre. Our trip to the Wetlands provides us with such a fantastically rich, authentic learning experience…

https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/lesson-plans-and-supporting-resources/

By Samantha Millar 

Picture this; 20 excited, nervous Year 5 students, a lake and a bridge constructed from pallets and random planks of wood. I use the word ‘bridge’ loosely. In actual fact, the pallets and planks are not fixed and are simply lying on top of one another. More alarmingly, in some cases, floating away or alternatively…

https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-trips/

By Christine Infante

‘To see the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand outdoors.’  Aristotle

On the Reserve

This work was sent by Hormead CE (VA) First & Nursery School Buntingford to one of our RSPB reserves following a visit and pond dipping session.   During the taught session they had used magnifying equipment to find out…

 https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-outreach-visits/

By Janet Watt

Excited pupils from Norfolk primary schools go on an exciting bug hunt thanks to an initiative by the RSPB which encourages exploration of the natural world.

The RSPB Schools Outreach Programme in Norwich includes a session called BioBlitz, where pupils spend 30 minutes in their school grounds searching for as many living things…