Francis Review – The latest in our series of posts about the Francis Review of the national curriculum were published last week. All the posts can be found here. When the series is complete, we shall share it with Francis team. More posts will be published during October. Let us know what you think.
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Francis on the Road – The Review is currently running a call for evidence. As part of this, there are a series of regional roadshows and webinars throughout October and November. These are open to teachers, lecturers and school and college leaders, as well as employers, parents and pupils, these events are an opportunity to hear directly from the chair of the review and expert panel, discuss key topics and themes, and ask questions. The full event programme and registration details are available here.
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Volunteer Editor Wanted – NAEE is seeking a volunteer to collate and organise news items for this weekly newsletter. Although unpaid at this stage, it may be possible to offer a modest stipend in due course. If you’re interested, please contact NAEE Chair, Paul Vare at pvare@glos.ac.uk by Friday October 25th.
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Climate in Education Snapshot – Click here to read the latest snapshot from the DfE. There are features on Hidden Nature week, Sustainability Support for Education and Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
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Rebooting – PACTS is a new educational initiative co-developed by Reboot the Future, SEEd and the Harmony Project. It sets out to transform how students understand and engage in the political process. It aims to empower them by showing that their voices matter. You can get more info, and sign up, here.
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Zooming Lunch – We are warmly invited to the first Our Shared World Zoom Learning Lunch. This is on Tuesday October 29th 1315 to 1400. You’ll be able to find out how, and why you ought, to contribute to the Francis Curriculum and Assessment Review, understand what is meant by “evidence”, what the DfE are looking for, and how best to share your ideas. More detail here about joining. Bring your own lunch.
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Circularity & Value – Also on Tuesday October 29th there is the next I-SEE webinar (1630 to 1730). It’s given by Professor Fiona Charnley, Professor of Circular Innovation and Co-Director Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy, University of Exeter who will be talking about Creating Value from a Circular Economy. Details and reservations here.
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RAAC Response – One year on from the RAAC building crisis, Lord Knight has written an article, including Teach the Future’s research, highlighting how the government’s response to RAAC schools can power Britain to net zero. It’s here.
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Moving North – Two species of butterfly have made dramatic appearances in Scotland in a suspected response to climate change. The Gatekeeper, never officially recorded north of the border before, has been spotted in several places in Scotland this summer, while the White-letter Hairstreak – only recorded around the River Tweed for the first time in 2017 – has now appeared 100 miles further north in Dundee. More detail here.
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Shrinking Population – WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report reveals global wildlife populations have shrunk by an average of 73% in the past 50 years.
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Limited Progress – The Wildlife & Countryside Link coalition report that England is not on track for any of the UN biodiversity goals. Further, on tackling chemicals and how climate change is affecting nature, it is judged to have gone backwards. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 drew up 23 targets for nations to meet by 2030 including a goal to protect 30% of land and oceans, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
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Hydnellum caeruleum– Plantlife’s specialist botanical advisor, Sarah Shuttleworth, talks about her favourite find: the rare Blue Tooth Fungus.
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Bio Korea Mass – The Guardian reports a plan by the government to burn biomass imported from countries including North Korea. It says that a bioenergy resource model, published in late summer, calculates that only a big expansion in the import of energy crops and wood would satisfy the UK’s plan to meet net zero. A 2023 strategy document adopted by the new government, said it wanted biomass to play a “significant role” in decarbonising all sectors of the economy in the years leading up to 2050. It’s fair to say that not everyone thinks this to be sensible.
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Overshooting – Adrienne Buller, an Associate Fellow at the UK’s Common Wealth think tank, has written in the New Statesman about the notion of “Overshoot”. This, she argues is a perverse economic logic that is bringing the climate crisis and extreme weather ever nearer. It is the issue critiqued in a new book by Andreas Malm and Wim Carton” Overshoot: How the world surrendered to climate breakdown.