Reflections on our new Sustainability into Primary Schools programme
Reflections on an exciting new collaboration
One of the most exciting aspects of working in the field of sustainability is the opportunity to make new connections, both internally at the University and externally. The Positive Impact Partners (PIP) programme aims to connect external organisations – namely those in the third and civic sectors – with the right people at the University to help them tackle their sustainability-related challenges.
PIP’s goal is to support the University's and the city’s net zero ambitions. We’re also committed to making sure this transformation is just, co-created, and place-based. That’s why we’ve found ourselves increasingly drawn to working with local primary schools.
Primary schools are unique spaces – they’re not just places of learning, they’re community hubs. They offer a gateway into local communities, and a way to start meaningful conversations around sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity. In many ways, they’re the perfect partners for the kind of locally grounded, collaborative work that PIP champions.
Why teach sustainability in primary schools?
In Spring 2024, we approached two local primary schools, with the aim of discussing their sustainability challenges and innovating ways to help the schools overcome some of them. A priority for both schools was enhancing their climate change, sustainability, and biodiversity related lessons.
We decided that a great way to do that would be to recruit students from the University of Leeds with knowledge and enthusiasm in these subjects to deliver innovative and engaging sessions to pupils in both schools. This is how the Sustainability into Primary Schools (SIPS) pilot was born.
How did we get Sustainability into Primary Schools?
The next question was, how do we deliver this scheme? Luckily there’s already a strong foundation to build on with the University’s Students into Schools programme, run by the Volunteering Team in Global Opportunities. We decided the best option would be to run the Sustainability into Primary Schools pilot as a new ‘thread’ of the existing Societies into Schools programme. This enabled PIP to recruit students from Leeds University Union Societies to deliver enrichment activities in schools in subjects that they’re passionate about.
In November and December 2024, the students delivered their workshops to very excited and engaged local pupils. The Conservation Society created a wonderful session explaining why bug hotels are so important. They provided an array of leaves, bamboo sticks and natural materials for the children to use to create their own bug hotels for their school grounds. The Sustainability Society developed a whole workshop on ‘What is Sustainability?’ and provided the materials for the children to decorate their own tote bags. Everybody loved the sessions – our students, the teachers and especially the pupils!
It's been great having your students come into Iveson, the children loved it, so thank you!
Ms Aimee Wigglesworth, Climate Lead, Iveson Primary School
A massive thank you to you and your colleagues for a fantastic workshop this afternoon.
Ms Lindsay Collinson, Assistant Head Teacher, Iveson Primary School
Next steps for 2025/26
Because the pilot was so successful, we’re keen to develop it further for academic year 2025/26. The initial two schools are already on board for next year, and we are reaching out to more schools to broaden our reach. This has proved challenging due to the limited capacity of primary school teachers, but something we seek to work around.
Equally importantly, we are working out ways of promoting the scheme to recruit more students. Focusing on relevant societies, we hope to give them the opportunity to have a big impact on the environmental awareness of local children. Recruitment of students will begin at pace in September – however if any staff or students are interested in getting on board with SIPS, or have any contacts in primary schools that may be interested, please email Siobhan Maguire on s.m.maguire@leeds.ac.uk.
The appetite for collaboration is clearly there, and the need has never been greater. As we reflect on our next steps, we’re excited about the potential for deeper, more sustained partnerships between schools and student Societies. Ultimately, we hope that through this programme we can help shape a generation of young people who are not only informed about the climate crisis – but also empowered to be part of the solution.
Email Siobhan to register your interest
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on the Sustainability into Schools programme is linked to the following SDGs:
- Goal 4: Quality Education
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.
