Folkestone Primary Schools Environmental Education Initiative
Folkestone Primary Schools Leading the Way to a Greener Future
Delivery November 2025 – Summer Term 2026
Project Sustainability Education Project
Participating Primary Schools: Martello Primary School, Morehall Primary School, and Folkestone Primary School
Target Delivery Framework: Department for Education (DfE) Climate Action Plan (CAP) – "Climate Education and Green Skills" Pillar
The ecoACTIVE Sustainability Education Programme was deployed across three contracted primary schools in Folkestone to provide intensive, curriculum-linked sustainability education. Rooted in ecoACTIVE's 20+ years of environmental education expertise, this targeted intervention was designed to help schools navigate their sustainability transitions and fulfill the DfE’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) mandates.
By combining structured school assemblies, staff training, and deep-dive student workshops, the program effectively elevated climate literacy, fostered student agency, and established a framework for long-term ecological actions across all participating sites.
Seeds of change
Sustainability Education Programme across three local schools: Martello Primary, Morehall Primary, and Folkestone Primary. Funded to help schools kickstart their journeys toward the Department for Education’s Climate Action Plans, the project brought hands-on, curriculum-linked environmental workshops to every single year group, running all the way from Reception up to Year 6.
The energy, passion, and curiosity we encountered were nothing short of inspiring. Today, we want to celebrate the incredible impact these young eco-champions have made!
Turning Awareness into Action: The Data
We believe in education that leaves a lasting impression. To see how effective the workshops were, we asked the children about their environmental confidence before and after our sessions. The shift was spectacular:
The Starting Point: Before we began, 75 children told us they didn’t know many ways to help the planet.
The Breakthrough: By the end of the programme, that number dropped by more than half.
The New Ambassadors: A massive 482 children confidently declared: "I know lots of ways of helping the environment... and can tell others!" That is a 63% increase in proactive student green leaders ready to inspire their families and communities!
Magic Moments from the Classroom
While numbers tell a great story, the true heart of this project lies in the voices of the children and their teachers.
Our philosophy is rooted in tactile, creative learning. In every single session, whether exploring the 6Rs of waste, renewable energy, or air pollution, pupils rolled up their sleeves for a practical activity.
"Can I touch it? I’ve never touched soil before."A Year 2 pupil, marveling at the texture of earth while mixing it with flour to create wildflower seed balls.
These seed balls didn’t just stay in the classroom; the very next day, Morehall Primary pupils were out throwing and planting them during their Forest School sessions, actively creating new wildflower zones on their school grounds.
Connection That Lasts
We were delighted to see how deeply the messages stuck. Weeks after our initial visits, Key Stage 1 children eagerly showed us the musical shakers they had crafted from repurposed waste, which they still keep and play at home. Another child in a follow-up workshop proudly told us, "I remember making my fridge magnet with you, and I’ve got it on my fridge at home!"
Our sessions also unlocked space for children to share their own passions and knowledge:
A Folkestone Primary pupil proudly shared how her older sister wrote a letter directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer about plastic pollution, and she was the only one to get a personal reply!
Older Key Stage 2 classes seamlessly linked their recent Geography lessons on deforestation in the Amazon and Fairtrade into our discussions on sustainable resource management.
Teachers remarked on how our creative activities captivated everyone, with one Year 4 teacher noting: “They really enjoyed that, and they are a really tricky class who are usually hard to engage.”
Part of Something Bigger
One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was showing the children that they weren’t working in isolation. We explained to the pupils that they were part of a coordinated, three-school regional effort.
By discovering that their schools were receiving dedicated funding to keep these green activities running long after ecoACTIVE left, the children truly felt like they belonged to "something bigger." It reinforced a vital lesson: their local, individual choices have a real, powerful ripple effect.
Looking Ahead: Keeping the Momentum Alive
The workshops may have concluded for the term, but the journey is just beginning. While we encountered common structural hurdles, such as schools lacking a designated on-site "Sustainability Lead" to naturally carry the torch, the warm relationships built with the staff have opened fantastic new doors.
We are currently following up with all three schools to offer continued, voluntary Climate Ambassador support. Our goal is to ensure the momentum built by these amazing pupils isn't lost and that the vibrant scrapbooks they are creating become the blueprints for their schools’ official Climate Action Plans.
A massive thank you to the brilliant staff and the phenomenally creative pupils of Folkestone. You are proof that you are never too small to make a mucky, magnificent difference!
Want to bring ecoACTIVE’s energetic, impactful workshops to your school? Explore our primary school programmes at ecoactive.org.uk/primary-workshops or get in touch with our team today!
