More than 7,500 educational settings are now taking part in the free National Education Nature Park programme.
Over a quarter of all schools and colleges across England have come together to create a network of green spaces to improve their outdoor site for thousands of young people. Across the country, children are mapping, digging, planting, planning, learning and sharing. These student-led improvements have boosted wellbeing, enriched outdoor learning, encouraged pupil responsibility and provided real-life context for curriculum subjects.
The National Education Nature Park, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) and led by the Natural History Museum (NHM) working with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and additional partners, sees young people creating a network of nature-rich spaces on school sites across the country by turning them from ‘grey to green’ through creating new habitats such as ponds, green walls and grasslands.
The story so far
As the third academic year of the National Education Nature Park begins, the Natural History Museum has released some key highlights to demonstrate the success of the programme across settings in England:
- More than 1 in 4 primary and secondary schools registered
- 7,500 schools, nurseries and colleges registered
- More than 13 million square metres of habitat mapped across the education estate
- More than 1,100 schools, nurseries and colleges mapping their habitat
- Over £12 million in grants awarded to over 1,250 schools and nurseries
The overarching goal of the National Education Nature Park is to empower every child and young person in England, through their place of learning, to take action to make a positive difference to both their own and nature’s future by developing a connection to nature, understanding the threats facing it and feeling able to act for nature. The project puts nature at the heart of the curriculum with resources across subject areas and key stages, with children taking part developing both green and digital skills.
Regional uptake
The programme is supported by grants from the Department for Education and administered by the RHS and regional teams working across all nine regions of England. Regionally, the programme’s had a strong uptake with the following registration rates across eligible settings:
- North East 21%
- North West 18%
- Yorkshire and the Humber 17%
- West Midlands 18%
- East Midlands 17%
- East of England 14%
- London 9%
- South West 12%
- South East 13%
When a school, nursery or college takes part in the Nature Park, they’re joining a research team of thousands and contributing to trailblazing global biodiversity research. As well as being an education programme, the Nature Park is a major community science project investigating what’s living and growing on learning sites and how we can best improve them for nature.
Recently, the Natural History Museum welcomed its Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to explore the newly developed gardens and hear from students from Nature Park schools transforming their grounds. Their Royal Highnesses joined local children from Kender Primary School, Lewisham taking part in Museum learning activities, before meeting students from Co-op Academy Manchester who have been creating new habitats on their school grounds.
Get involved and read more
Schools, nurseries and colleges in England can register for the Nature Park programme and begin their journey by heading to www.educationnaturepark.org.uk.
The full annual report for 2024/2025 can be read on the Nature Park website.
You can read our regular updates from the Nature Park here