Environmental Studies
	Environment Project 1994/95 Birmingham LEA's Primary Guarantee was in its draft stages when the idea for the project was conceived by the consortium known as 'Central Area 4'.  The Guarantee lists five 'Targets of Process or Experience' and it was the third one that appealed to the consortium: 'Every child, by the end of Key Stage 2, will have carried out an environmental project'. At the end of 1994, the Headteachers met and drew up a proposal to involve pupils in a combined project to 'find their identity' by raising their awareness of the locality and to use it as a resource for environmental education.  They felt that the name Central Area 4 gave no sense of place, and one of the first tasks of the project would be to find a new name - one to give a sense of ownership and pride, and which would reflect the consortium's location in the city.

A framework for education Environmental education was launched by the National Curriculum Council as one of the five cross curricular themes in 1990.  It is education about the environment (knowledge), in or through the environment ( a resource, using field and street work skills), for the environment (caring attitudes).  The Project Report illustrates how the Cole Heath Project weaves together the knowledge, skills and attitudes in the statutory curriculum areas to produce a cohesive framework in which to address local environmental issues.

Key Stages Environmental education is not statutory in schools in this country, and there is no central funding from the DfEE.  It was not mentioned in the Dearing Report as a cross curricular theme, but the environmental content of the new orders for geography provide timely opportunities for this project: children's views about the environment (Key Stage 1) recent and proposed changes in the locality (Key Stage 2) environmental issues (Key Stage 3)

Context for achievement SCAA's booklet Teaching Environmental Matters Through the National Curriculum sets out the following aims from the Prospectus for the Conference on Education about the Environment, DfEE/DOE, February 1995: 'Environmental education aims to: provide all pupils with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills required to engage effectively with environmental issues encourage pupils to examine and interpret the environment from a variety of perspectives arouse pupils' awareness and curiosity about the environment and encourage active participation in resolving environmental problems.' The Cole Heath Environmental Project provided the context in which to deliver these aims.

Further information For further information, details of how to purchase either copies of the Cole Heath Map or Project Report containing the Toolsheets please contact the Project Manager - Barry Metcalfe: barrym@rmplc.co.uk, telephone 0121 783 3269.

This page was produced by Edward Pope of Education IT Services (EdIT).  Last modified 29 September 97