Drake Primary School’s Climate Journey: A Success Story

Posted on by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

In a previous posts, I have argued that climate change is a safeguarding issue. It still amazes me that so many school policies overlook climate as a risk to children’s wellbeing and access to education. Since stepping into my role with the DfE‑funded Climate Ambassadors scheme, I’ve been helping schools translate that conviction into practical action—linking climate literacy with safeguarding in a way that feels feasible, not frightening.

A year with Drake Primary School shows what this looks like when it’s done well: a whole‑school approach that starts with a plan, grows through pupil voice and staff confidence, and matures into culture—curriculum, campus, community and, crucially, safeguarding.

Laying the Foundations: A Plan Built on Four Pillars

Drake’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) is structured across the four pillars: decarbonisation, adaptation & resilience, biodiversity, and climate education. That balance matters. It ensures the work isn’t reduced to kilowatt hours and capital bids; it centres pupils’ learning, place‑based nature connection, and pastoral care.

Picture of printouts of Drake Primary School's Climate Action Plan.

“Support from school leadership is key to achieving sustainability goals. From the outset, Drake Primary school leaders prioritised sustainability, ensuring staff had the capacity and resources to work on their Climate Action Plan with Let’s Go Zero.”
— Luciana de Almeida, Climate Action Advisor

Quick wins built momentum. After analysing out‑of‑hours energy use, Drake found heavy evening consumption. Simple steps—putting iPad charging banks and printers on timers—saved energy and became pupil‑led STEM learning: auditing equipment, measuring use, and linking the findings into maths and science.

Where Climate Meets Safeguarding: Adaptation & Resilience

My work with Drake focused on adaptation & resilience—linking the CAP to statutory safeguarding responsibilities. Together, we audited their safeguarding policy through a climate lens, looking at risks from flooding, overheating, and extreme cold, and reflecting on categories such as Mental Health & Wellbeing and Community Engagement.

“Drake decided that the next step would be to evaluate their current safeguarding policies with the aim to make them more ‘climate literate’.”
— Kit Marie Rackley, Climate Ambassadors Regional Hub Manager

This isn’t box‑ticking. It’s safeguarding in the climate crisis era: risk assessment, pastoral care, and continuity of learning reframed for new realities.

Deep Roots: Biodiversity and Climate Education

With the National Education Nature Park, Drake strengthened both biodiversity action and climate education. Year 3 took on the Hidden Nature Challenge and staff, with support from Regional Officer Jenna Gilmour, used the site mapping activities to understand what lives and grows on site and where the opportunities are.

“Drake have already made some amazing changes to their site, such as the wildlife pond and gardening area, all with the purpose of connecting their students to nature.”
— Jenna Gilmour, Nature Park Regional Officer

Crucially, Drake are also tending to the emotional side of climate education—encouraging self‑regulation, opening spaces for staff and pupils to process feelings, and addressing eco‑anxiety.

A young school pupil places a ceramic poppy into metal webbing to decorate the base of a tree
Mini protest signs made out of painted wood with a sign talking about the School Strikes for Climate
Exploring biodiversity: pupils investigate tree species as part of their sustainability learning.
Exploring biodiversity: pupils investigate tree species as part of their sustainability learning.

One Year On: From Vision to Reality

Twelve months later, the progress is tangible—and teachable.

  • A wetland and pond area, with mini solar panels powering the pump
  • New hedgerows and trees providing shelter and food for wildlife
  • An allotment where pupils grow produce
  • Solar panels on the school roof and even electric minibuses

“It was wonderful to visit Drake Primary and see how many habitats have been improved and installed… alongside wider sustainability measures like solar panels and electric minibuses.”
— Dr Jess Tipton, Head of the National Education Nature Park

Pupil voice shines. Children confidently identify tree species, explain biodiversity, and even discuss ash dieback. Outdoor classrooms and curated texts embed sustainability across subjects, not as an add‑on but as a thread.

Sustainable energy in action: mini solar panels power the pond pump. The pond and wetland area increases biodiversity while acting as part of sustainable drainage. The school roof showcases its commitment to renewable energy.
Sustainable energy in action: mini solar panels power the pond pump. The pond and wetland area increases biodiversity while acting as part of sustainable drainage. The school roof showcases its commitment to renewable energy.
Growing knowledge: the school allotment helps pupils connect with food, nature, and sustainability.
Growing knowledge: the school allotment helps pupils connect with food, nature, and sustainability.

The Next Chapter: The Year of the Tree

For 2025/26, Drake are launching a whole‑school Year of the Tree:

  • Each year group will adopt a tree, exploring it through science, art, and creative projects
  • The Halcyon Forest Project, inspired by a challenge from Chris Packham, invites every pupil to name, plant, and care for their own tree
  • The year culminates in a Sustainability Showcase at the Royal Norfolk Show

This isn’t just about trees. It’s about deepening nature connection, supporting wellbeing, and embedding sustainability in a way that excites and empowers.

Three documents on a wooden surface, including “HALCYON Year of the Tree” and Drake Primary School’s Climate Action Plan for 2025–26.
Planning for impact: Drake’s Climate Action Plan and Year of the Tree vision set the course for 2025/26.
An outdoor wooden shelter with benches, hooks for hanging items, and stacks of wellington boots, with two adults near a wall display.
Outdoor classroom: a dedicated space for nature-based learning and sustainability activities. The outdoor learning syllabus and scheme of work for each year group is pinned to the wall.

Why This Matters for Safeguarding

If I distilled Drake’s learning for DSLs, heads, and governors:

  • Name climate as a safeguarding risk
  • Embed it in governance
  • Cross‑link CAP ↔ Safeguarding
  • Empower pupil voice
  • Make the campus a classroom
  • Plan for emotions, not just emissions

Practical Starting Checklist

Governance & Policy

  • Appoint a sustainability governor
  • Add a climate risk statement to your safeguarding policy
  • Map local climate hazards into emergency plans

People & Pastoral

  • Train DSLs on eco‑anxiety
  • Establish clear family communication pathways

Curriculum & Pupil Voice

  • Use Nature Park activities
  • Run a pupil‑led energy audit
  • Plan an annual BioBlitz

Estates & Operations

  • Analyse out‑of‑hours energy use
  • Identify low‑cost heat and ventilation strategies
It was exceptionally clear to me that the pupils were very comfortable outdoors. In fact, the school encourages them to climb the trees to promote safe risk-taking and nature-based play.

Want Support?

If you’re in England, you can request help through the Climate Ambassadors scheme (via STEM Learning) to audit your safeguarding policy for climate literacy, strengthen your CAP, or plan pupil‑led actions. If you don’t have a STEM account, get in touch via my Contact page.

Read the case studies:

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Children identifying trees and leaves in Sofia’s Garden, supported by sustainability co-lead Danielle Ware and RHS representative Jenna Gilmour.
Hands-on learning: pupils explore tree and leaf identification in Sofia’s Garden, guided by teacher Danielle Ware and National Education Nature Park’s Jenna Gilmour.
A selection of children’s books and educational sheets on a table, including titles like “Sunny’s Blazing Battle” and “Buddy’s Rainforest Rescue.”
Stories for sustainability: books and resources help pupils explore environmental themes through reading. Use of these texts and their resources are embedded into the curriculum.
A child creating a nature-inspired artwork, drawing a tree on paper with coloured pencils, alongside a strip decorated with leaves and moss.
Creative connections: pupils combine art and nature by sketching trees and crafting with natural materials.
Selfie of me wearing my UEA work lanyard with my hand on the top of a giant squirrel statue with rainbow eyes and yellow painted flair around it.
Selfie with a giant squirrel!
Me standing over a school desk with stationary on it pointing to a leaf identification sheet with three pupils looking at the sheet over an A3 sheet of paper with their tree design.
Working with pupils to use their leaf and twig identification keys and crafting slips to design their own trees.

Many thanks to the Sustainability co-leads Danielle Ware and Sara Farish at Drake Primary School for having myself, Jess Tipton (Natural History Museum/National Education Nature Park) and Jenna Gilmour (Royal Horticultural Society/National Education Nature Park) along. Consent for photos obtained by Natural History Museum.

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Published by Kit Marie Rackley (they/she)

Kit Marie Rackley (they/she) is an award-winning ex high-school Geography teacher in the UK. Throughout that time and continuing today, Kit Marie provides teacher continuous professional development (CPD) and training, which previously included a role as Associate Tutor for the School of Education at the University of East Anglia. Kit Marie has worked as an education consultant and project manager with climate and energy scientists, including researchers based at NOAA Boulder, Colorado and as an educator and trainer at the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, California, and is now freelance consultant with the UK’s Geographical Association and the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT). They are a published educational author, including works with National Geographic Kids and Diverse Educators. Kit Marie is a strong and passionate advocate of youth voice and empowerment, decolonising the curriculum, and inclusive and intersectional education. Much of their work revolves around the climate crisis, focusing around framing it as a school safeguarding issue. Kit Marie runs an educational resource blog at Geogramblings.com, and is host and producer of the Coffee & Geography podcast.

One thought on “Drake Primary School’s Climate Journey: A Success Story”

  1. Thanks for sharing this Kit. A wonderful example of what can be achieved when Climate Change Action is taken seriously and holistically.

    Liked by 1 person

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