Course Overview
The Sustainability in Primary Schools Award is a practical online professional-development course designed to help teachers, teaching assistants, subject leaders and school staff make sustainability a meaningful part of everyday school life.
Sustainability should be more than a one-off recycling activity, an annual eco week or a poster displayed in the corridor.
Children need opportunities to understand how their choices affect the environment, explore real issues, take practical action and see that positive change is possible.
Primary schools are ideally placed to build these habits early.
Through outdoor learning, curriculum teaching, whole-school routines and pupil-led projects, schools can help children develop environmental awareness, responsibility, curiosity and hope.
This course supports practitioners to move from isolated sustainability activities towards a clearer, more joined-up approach.
You will explore biodiversity, waste, energy, water, food, transport, climate awareness, responsible consumption, school grounds and pupil leadership.
The course also helps staff connect sustainability to existing curriculum objectives, rather than treating it as another subject that needs to be squeezed into an already busy timetable.
The course takes approximately four hours to complete, includes no coursework and can be completed entirely at your own pace.
Course Information at a Glance
Course length: Approximately four hours
Course format: Online and self-paced
Coursework: There is no coursework, written assignment or formal assessment
Who is it for? Primary teachers, teaching assistants, sustainability leads, geography leads, science leads, PSHE leads, school leaders, SENDCos and outdoor learning practitioners
Age range: EYFS, KS1 and KS2
Experience required: No previous sustainability or outdoor learning experience is required
How do you complete the course? Work through short reading sections, training videos, audio content, practical examples and reflection opportunities
Can I complete it at my own pace? Yes. Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return whenever it suits you
What will I receive? Access to the online training and eligibility for a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion
How do I access it? The course is accessed online through your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account
Is it included in my membership? This course is included as part of the Gold Membership
Who Is This Sustainability Course For?
The Sustainability in Primary Schools Award is suitable for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, sustainability leads, science leads, geography leads, PSHE leads, Eco Committee coordinators, outdoor learning practitioners and school leaders.
The course can be completed by an individual member of staff or used as part of wider school professional development.
It is suitable for mainstream primary schools, special schools, alternative provision, Early Years settings and home education.
You do not need to be an environmental specialist.
The course begins with clear principles and helps practitioners identify practical steps that are realistic within an ordinary school.
It is particularly useful for schools that want to strengthen their environmental work, develop pupil leadership, make better use of their outdoor space or connect sustainability more clearly to curriculum learning.
Explore our Outdoor Learning Training Hub for further professional-development opportunities.
What Will You Learn?
By the end of the course, you will understand how to develop a more purposeful and consistent approach to sustainability within a primary school.
You will explore how to connect sustainability to the curriculum, improve biodiversity within school grounds, reduce waste, consider energy and water use, promote responsible consumption, involve pupils in meaningful decision-making, avoid tokenistic environmental activities and create a realistic whole-school sustainability plan.
You will also consider how to introduce challenging environmental topics without overwhelming children.
Sustainability education should help children understand real issues, but it should also give them opportunities to act, contribute and feel hopeful.
The aim is not to frighten children about the future.
The aim is to help them understand that their choices, ideas and actions matter.
For a broader introduction to curriculum-based outdoor learning, visit our Complete Guide to Outdoor Learning.
What Does Sustainability Mean in a Primary School?
Sustainability means meeting current needs while protecting resources, environments and opportunities for the future.
Within a primary school, this can involve how the school uses energy, manages waste, purchases resources, supports biodiversity, teaches environmental responsibility and involves children in decision-making.
It also includes helping children understand the connections between people, places, resources and the natural world.
A sustainable school does not need to be perfect.
It needs to be reflective, purposeful and willing to make steady improvements.
Small actions can become meaningful when they are understood, monitored and connected to a wider plan.
For example, recycling is more valuable when children understand why materials are being separated, where waste goes and how consumption can be reduced in the first place.
The course helps practitioners move beyond visible gestures towards environmental learning that has depth and purpose.
Why Sustainability Matters in Primary Education
Children are growing up in a world shaped by climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, resource use and changing environments.
Schools have an important role in helping them understand these issues in an age-appropriate way.
Sustainability education develops knowledge, but it also supports problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, responsibility and collaboration.
Children can investigate real questions, collect evidence, evaluate choices and take practical action.
These are valuable skills across the curriculum.
Sustainability can also strengthen children’s connection with their school and local area.
When children help improve a wildlife space, reduce waste or monitor energy use, they see that their actions can have a visible impact.
This sense of agency matters.
Children need opportunities to feel that environmental challenges are not simply problems created by adults that they are powerless to change.
Connecting Sustainability to the Curriculum
Sustainability should not sit entirely outside the curriculum.
Many environmental themes already connect naturally to science, geography, English, maths, design and technology, PSHE and computing.
In science, children can explore habitats, plants, materials, seasonal change and environmental conditions.
In geography, they can study climate, land use, natural resources, settlements and local environments.
In maths, they can collect and analyse data about waste, transport, energy or biodiversity.
In English, they can debate, explain, persuade, report and communicate environmental ideas.
In design and technology, they can consider materials, purpose, durability, repair and responsible design.
The course helps practitioners identify these links without forcing sustainability into every lesson.
The focus remains on meaningful curriculum connections that improve understanding.
Explore our Teaching the Primary Curriculum Outdoors Hub for related subject guidance.
Developing Biodiversity in School Grounds
Biodiversity refers to the variety of living things within an environment.
Even a small primary school site can support wildlife.
Grass verges, hedges, trees, planters, walls, playground edges and unused corners can all provide habitats or food sources.
Improving biodiversity does not always require creating a large wildlife garden.
Schools can begin by observing what is already present.
Children can identify plants, record insects, monitor birds, map habitats and notice how the site changes through the seasons.
This evidence can then help the school decide what action may be useful.
The course explores manageable improvements such as planting for pollinators, reducing unnecessary mowing, creating shelter, providing water or improving habitat variety.
Any changes should be appropriate for the school site and maintained safely.
Visit our Biodiversity in Primary Schools Course for a more detailed whole-school focus.
Reducing Waste in Primary Schools
Waste is often one of the first areas schools address, but recycling alone is not the complete answer.
A more sustainable approach considers whether items need to be purchased, whether they can be reused, whether they can be repaired and what happens when they are no longer needed.
Schools use large amounts of paper, packaging, art materials, stationery, food and disposable resources.
Children can help investigate where waste is created and what realistic changes could be made.
This might involve monitoring paper use, reviewing packed-lunch waste, improving resource storage or creating systems for reusing materials.
The course helps practitioners turn waste reduction into meaningful learning rather than a list of rules.
Children should understand why a change matters and how its impact can be measured.
Energy and Water Use
Energy and water can feel invisible because they are available at the flick of a switch or turn of a tap.
Schools can help children understand that both are valuable resources.
Children might investigate where energy is used, monitor classroom habits, compare natural and artificial light or consider how heating and ventilation are managed.
Water learning might include observing rainfall, exploring drainage, measuring water use or considering how water supports plants, people and wildlife.
The course helps staff create practical learning without placing responsibility for whole-school systems onto children.
Pupils can contribute ideas, collect information and encourage better habits, but significant changes may need to be led by school leaders, site teams and governing bodies.
Sustainability works best when children’s learning is supported by visible adult action.
Food and Sustainability
Food provides a valuable way to explore sustainability because it connects daily choices to farming, transport, packaging, waste, health and the environment.
Children can investigate where food comes from, how far it travels, how it is packaged and what happens when it is wasted.
Growing food in school can also help children understand seasonality, care and the time involved in producing something to eat.
A school does not need a large vegetable garden.
Herbs, salad leaves, beans or small fruit plants can be grown in containers or planters.
The course encourages schools to keep food learning practical and balanced.
Children should not be made to feel guilty about family choices that may be influenced by cost, culture, allergies, availability or additional needs.
The focus should be on curiosity, understanding and realistic action.
Sustainable Travel
Travel to school affects air quality, traffic, safety and carbon emissions.
However, schools need to approach this topic sensitively.
Not every family can walk or cycle.
Distance, disability, work patterns, caring responsibilities, transport access and safety can all affect how children travel.
The course helps practitioners avoid oversimplified messages.
Children can explore different types of transport, collect travel data, investigate local routes and consider ways journeys might become safer or more sustainable.
Schools may promote walking, cycling, scooting, shared travel or public transport where these options are realistic.
The aim is to increase understanding and choice rather than judge families.
Responsible Consumption
Sustainability is not only about how waste is managed.
It is also about what is purchased in the first place.
Schools regularly buy stationery, displays, rewards, costumes, books, equipment and activity resources.
Practitioners can consider whether items are durable, reusable, repairable and genuinely necessary.
This does not mean that schools should stop buying useful resources.
It means making purchasing decisions more thoughtfully.
Children can also explore the difference between wants and needs, advertising, product life cycles and the environmental impact of materials.
The course helps staff introduce these ideas in age-appropriate ways.
Responsible consumption is about learning to pause, question and make informed choices.
Pupil Voice and Environmental Leadership
Children should have meaningful opportunities to contribute to sustainability work.
This may happen through an Eco Committee, school council, class project or whole-school campaign.
However, pupil voice should involve more than adults choosing a project and asking children to promote it.
Children can help investigate an issue, collect evidence, discuss options, make recommendations and evaluate the impact.
Adults still need to provide structure and ensure ideas are safe, realistic and inclusive.
The course explores how to support genuine pupil leadership without expecting children to solve complex environmental problems alone.
A strong project gives children an appropriate level of responsibility and allows them to see what changed as a result of their contribution.
Avoiding Tokenistic Sustainability Activities
Schools often complete attractive environmental activities that have little long-term impact.
A single litter pick, recycled art project or tree-planting event can be valuable, but it should connect to wider learning.
The course helps practitioners ask important questions.
What are children learning? Why has this activity been chosen? What happens afterwards? How will the impact be understood? Is the action genuinely more sustainable?
For example, creating art from disposable plastic may raise awareness, but it can also encourage the school to collect more single-use materials.
The course encourages staff to consider both the message and the wider impact of an activity.
Sustainability education should help children think critically, not simply complete activities that look environmentally friendly.
Supporting Children Without Creating Eco-Anxiety
Some children feel worried, frightened or powerless when learning about environmental issues.
News stories and adult conversations can make climate change or habitat loss feel overwhelming.
Schools need to provide truthful information in a way that is appropriate for children’s age and emotional development.
The course helps practitioners balance knowledge with action and hope.
Children should learn that environmental problems are real, but they should also hear about solutions, cooperation, innovation and positive change.
Practical action can support emotional wellbeing.
Planting, monitoring wildlife, reducing waste or improving a local space can help children feel connected and capable.
Adults should listen carefully when children express worry and avoid placing responsibility for global problems onto them.
Making Sustainability Inclusive
Sustainability education should be accessible to all children.
Activities may need to be adapted for physical access, sensory needs, communication, processing, confidence and different levels of prior knowledge.
A child does not need to write a long report to contribute meaningfully.
They might photograph evidence, sort materials, collect data, communicate through symbols, take part in a practical task or share ideas verbally.
The course encourages practitioners to offer different routes into the same important learning.
Inclusion also means avoiding assumptions about children’s homes, lifestyles or family choices.
Environmental education should build understanding without blame or shame.
Explore our SEND Outdoor Learning Hub for further inclusive support.
Creating a Whole-School Sustainability Plan
A clear plan helps schools move beyond disconnected projects.
The plan does not need to be complicated.
It can begin with a simple review of current practice.
Schools might consider what is already working, where the greatest opportunities lie, which actions are realistic and who needs to be involved.
The course helps practitioners identify a small number of priorities.
These might include biodiversity, waste, curriculum development, energy, pupil leadership or staff confidence.
Each priority should have a clear action, responsible person and way of reviewing progress.
Trying to change everything at once can lead to enthusiasm fading quickly.
A focused plan creates a stronger foundation for long-term improvement.
Working With School Leaders and Governors
Some sustainability changes require support beyond the classroom.
Purchasing, buildings, energy, catering, transport and grounds management may involve senior leaders, governors, site staff, catering teams or external providers.
The course helps practitioners communicate the educational and practical value of sustainability work.
Evidence can be particularly useful.
Staff and pupils might collect data, identify costs, show curriculum links or demonstrate how a proposed change could improve the school environment.
A whole-school approach is more effective when responsibility is shared.
The sustainability lead should help coordinate the work, but they should not be expected to manage every action alone.
Try This Tomorrow
Choose one area of the school grounds and spend ten minutes observing it with a class or small group.
Ask children what is living there, what resources are being used and what might make the area more supportive for people or wildlife.
Keep the discussion focused on observation before moving to solutions.
Children might notice limited planting, unused space, litter, water collection, shade or signs of wildlife.
Record one realistic suggestion.
The next step could be gathering more evidence rather than acting immediately.
This simple activity helps children understand that sustainable action begins with looking carefully, asking questions and making informed decisions.
What Will You Do During the Course?
The Sustainability in Primary Schools Award is practical and accessible.
You will work through short online sections containing reading, training videos, audio content, examples from primary settings and reflection opportunities.
You may be encouraged to review a particular area of your school, curriculum or current environmental practice.
This helps you connect the course directly to your setting.
There is no coursework, written assignment or formal assessment.
You will not need to submit a sustainability plan, portfolio, project or assessed observation.
Any reflection activities are included to help you apply the learning rather than test you.
How Long Does the Course Take?
The Sustainability in Primary Schools Award takes approximately four hours to complete.
You can complete the course in one session or divide it into shorter sections.
Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return whenever it suits you.
There is no fixed deadline and no requirement to complete the course in one sitting.
Schools may also choose to use sections during staff meetings, curriculum development, Eco Committee planning, twilight training or INSET time, subject to the appropriate membership or course licence.
Do I Need Previous Experience?
No previous sustainability or outdoor learning experience is required.
The course begins with the foundations and introduces practical approaches gradually.
It is suitable for staff who are beginning their sustainability work and experienced practitioners who want to create a more consistent whole-school approach.
You do not need to be a science or geography specialist.
The course focuses on realistic action within everyday primary-school practice.
Do I Need a Large Outdoor Space?
No.
The course is designed for ordinary school grounds.
Sustainability learning can take place in playgrounds, yards, courtyards, gardens, fields, planters, artificial sports areas and small outdoor spaces.
Even a school with very limited green space can explore waste, energy, water, consumption, travel and local environmental issues.
The emphasis is on making purposeful use of the setting and resources already available.
What Equipment Will I Need?
You will not need expensive equipment to complete the course.
Many activities can be supported using clipboards, simple measuring equipment, cameras, containers, chalk, maps, tally sheets and resources already available in school.
Some projects may involve planting or habitat resources, but the course encourages schools to begin with observation and planning before purchasing equipment.
The quality of the learning depends more on the questions, evidence and decisions than on expensive products.
Is the Course Suitable for SEND?
Yes.
The course includes practical guidance for making sustainability learning more accessible.
It considers communication, physical access, sensory needs, processing, participation and different ways for children to contribute.
Practitioners should adapt activities according to individual needs and any professional guidance already in place.
Sustainability projects can offer valuable opportunities for practical participation, shared purpose and visible success.
Will I Receive a Certificate?
Once you have completed the course, you will be eligible to receive a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion.
To request your certificate, email info@themuddypuddleteacher.co.uk.
Please include your full name, the title of the completed course and the email address to which you would like the certificate sent.
Certificates are issued electronically unless otherwise agreed.
Is This an Accredited Qualification?
The Sustainability in Primary Schools Award provides a certificate of completion and can contribute to your professional-development record.
It is a specialist CPD course rather than a formal environmental-management qualification.
Where a course forms part of an accredited Muddy Puddle Teacher® pathway, this will be clearly stated within the course information.
Explore our Accredited Outdoor Learning Training Pathway to discover further professional-development opportunities.
Can This Course Be Used as CPD?
Yes.
The course can contribute to your continuing professional development and may be recorded within appraisal evidence, subject-lead development, a professional-development file or reflective journal.
You may wish to record what you learned, which actions were introduced and how the changes affected pupil understanding, school practice or the outdoor environment.
The course is particularly relevant for staff developing sustainability, science, geography, PSHE, pupil leadership, biodiversity or outdoor learning.
Can Schools Complete the Course Together?
Yes.
The course can be completed individually or used as part of whole-school professional development.
Schools may choose to work through sections during staff meetings, curriculum development sessions, Eco Committee planning, twilight training or INSET time.
Completing the course as a team can help sustainability become a shared responsibility rather than a project managed by one member of staff.
Each person accessing the course must be covered by the appropriate membership or training licence.
What Is Included?
The course includes approximately four hours of online training, guidance for embedding sustainability across the curriculum, practical ideas covering biodiversity, waste, energy, water, food, transport and consumption, strategies for pupil leadership and whole-school planning, examples adaptable for ordinary primary schools, reflection opportunities, access through your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account and eligibility for a certificate of completion.
There is no coursework, written assignment, examination or assessed portfolio.
Gold members can also access a growing library of practical outdoor learning CPD courses covering curriculum learning, Early Years, SEND, STEM, biodiversity and whole-school development.
How Do I Access the Course?
Sign in to your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account and open the online training area.
Select Sustainability in Primary Schools Award and begin whenever you are ready.
Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return at any time.
Access to this course is included within the Gold Membership.
Continue Your Professional Development
After completing the Sustainability in Primary Schools Award, you can continue your professional development through related Muddy Puddle Teacher® courses.
Recommended next steps may include Biodiversity in Primary Schools, Teaching STEM Outdoors in Primary Schools, Outdoor Curriculum Specialism: Primary Science, Level 1 Outdoor Learning: Primary School Starter Course and the Accredited Outdoor Learning Practitioner Pathway.
Gold Membership gives you access to a growing collection of practical CPD courses.
Ultimate Membership includes the complete course library and the accredited Outdoor Learning Practitioner and Coordinator Awards.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Sustainability in Primary Schools Award take?
The course takes approximately four hours to complete. You can complete it in one sitting or divide it into shorter sections. Your progress is saved, allowing you to return whenever it suits you.
Is there any coursework?
No. There is no coursework, written assignment, portfolio, examination or formal assessment. Reflection opportunities are included to help you apply the learning within your school.
Is the course only for teachers?
No. The course is suitable for teachers, teaching assistants, sustainability leads, subject leaders, school leaders and other primary-school practitioners.
Do we need an Eco Committee?
No. The course can support schools with or without an existing Eco Committee. It includes different ways to involve pupils in environmental decision-making and action.
Do we need a large green space?
No. Sustainability work can take place in playgrounds, yards, courtyards and small outdoor spaces. The course also covers waste, water, energy, travel and responsible consumption.
Does the course cover climate change?
Yes. The course considers how to introduce climate and environmental issues in an age-appropriate way that combines honest information with action and hope.
Is this a recognised environmental qualification?
The course provides a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion and can contribute to your CPD record. It is not a formal environmental-management qualification.
Can schools complete the course together?
Yes. Schools can use the course for staff meetings, curriculum development, twilight sessions or INSET, provided everyone completing it has the appropriate access.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Once you have completed the course, you can request a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion by emailing info@themuddypuddleteacher.co.uk.
Is the course included in Gold Membership?
Yes. The Sustainability in Primary Schools Award is included within Gold Membership alongside a growing collection of practical outdoor learning CPD courses.
Author
Written by Sarah Seaman PGCE MA
Founder of The Muddy Puddle Teacher®
Teacher for over 19 years
Bloomsbury author
Trainer of thousands of teachers across the UK
