Inspiring Pupils to Care About the World we Live In 

Written by Alex Alves, Forest School & Outdoor Learning Teacher, Head of Geography and Sustainability Lead 

The thing that stands out to me most about the community of children at Fairfield is their curiosity when it comes to discovering the world around them; the hallmarks of great young geographers. 

Through the newly introduced Geography curriculum at Fairfield, I’ve positioned this sense of curiosity at the very centre of their learning. The sustainable development goals are deeply embedded, and it now has strong links to the local environment, involving more practical fieldwork which is rooted in real life experiences; children are encouraged to develop their thinking and problem-solving skills at every turn.  

These tweaks have proved directly relevant to the global agenda as 2025 marks the 30^th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP 30). Covering areas such as energy, biodiversity, agriculture and social development, it is critical for young people to care about their environment and at Fairfield, we believe there is no better place for these roots to be developed than in (and beyond!) the classroom. 

From Forest School to Eco Club, there’s lots to encourage and engage bright minds. At Forest School we’ve developed our own outdoor curriculum called the ‘Outdoor Odyssey’ where embracing the great outdoors helps to enhance skills such as communication, team building and resilience. Pupils learn about shelter building, knots, fire skills, using tools safely and managing their own risk. And then the other strand is all about how to care for the environment and the ecosystem. 

Eco Club is a driving force for championing sustainability at Fairfield and brings children together who share a strong passion for the environment. One of my favourite initiatives from the club was the children’s aim to improve the biodiversity around school. So, they decided to build some bird and bug houses and to plant more flowers around the grounds. This is a shining example of children who are becoming increasingly mindful about the outdoors. 

I always aim to inspire the children to want to travel and find out about different cultures, as well as instill in them the desire to want to make a difference. In the summer, I work as an expedition leader, spearheading conservation expeditions across the world for secondary school students; this year I led an expedition to Tanzania and Zanzibar. 

In Zanzibar, we had the opportunity to learn more about turtle conservation and worked with the turtle release companies to preserve populations of the creature. We relocated the eggs to safety, away from predators, so that the turtles can hatch and be released into the sea. We also snorkelled in the sea to monitor the reefs and undertook some reef restoration work, as well as taking part in beach cleanup missions to tackle the removal of litter from all over the world which washes up on the shores. 

After each expedition I normally run a whole school assembly so that I can teach the children about what I’ve been up to – and really that’s to try and inspire them. To inspire them to care, inspire them to be mindful about the environment and what is happening across the world, and to make them curious. 

Hopefully by sharing my expedition experience, continuing to embed sustainability issues into the geography curriculum, and providing engaging eco opportunities for our pupils, I can be that person who drives their passion for the environment forward for them for the future.