Natural History: GCSE
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Department for Education's press release entitled New natural history GCSE to grow next generation of green careers, published on 12 June 2026, whether support will be provided to schools with limited access to natural habitats to deliver the fieldwork requirements of the qualification.
Answered by Georgia Gould
On 12 June, the department launched a public consultation on proposed subject content for a new natural history GCSE. We are seeking views on the proposed content, including our proposed fieldwork requirement of 20 hours.
Fieldwork is an essential element of the study of natural history and our intention is that it can be delivered flexibly, adapted to the diverse contexts in which schools operate. While schools may consider locations in their local areas and further afield, we also encourage schools to consider using school grounds for fieldwork study.
We have worked closely with subject experts and stakeholders to refine the subject content, which aims to complement the study of existing science GCSEs and GCSE geography. We will consider all consultation feedback carefully before finalising the subject content.
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