Fun new activities and assemblies to help four to 11-year-olds learn about wildlife, plants and climate change are coming to Basingstoke and Deane primary schools this autumn.

As pupils return after the summer holidays, the eco experts from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Green Team are offering to come into primary schools to lead free interactive, engaging and educational sessions about the planet and nature.

Created with the national curriculum in mind, the topics for the free one-hour classroom activities and 20-minute assemblies are:

  • Saving energy to save the planet
  • How to help hedgehogs (and other wildlife too)
  • Wasting less with the ‘new’ three Rs: reduce, reuse, repair

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Members of the Green Team, as sustainability experts, are confident they can answer almost any unexpected or tricky question about the planet, nature and climate change that pupils may come up with.

Cabinet member for the climate and ecological emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “Schools are so important for teaching children about nature and the impact we all have on the world around us. But sustainability and climate change can also be huge, quickly changing and difficult topics for anyone of any age to talk about and understand.

“That’s why I’m so pleased our sustainability experts can support local schools with this mammoth task, running free, fun and educational sessions in a friendly and accessible way that explain what climate change is and how everyone can play their part to protect our planet and help our borough reach net zero by 2030.”

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The borough’s ambitious target to become net zero carbon by December 2030 was set in 2019 when borough councillors unanimously called to declare a climate emergency for Basingstoke and Deane.

Teachers can find out more about the free activities and assemblies at basingstoke.gov.uk/green-team-schools-activities.

Aiming to help and encourage all primary and secondary schools in the borough to go greener and become more environmentally friendly, the council has also recently launched a brand-new climate toolkit specifically for schools.

Teachers of all age groups, estates teams, managers and governors can get top tips, advice and resources for taking action on the climate and ecological emergency at basingstoke.gov.uk/schools-climate-change-toolkit.