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Schools: Temperature

Asked by Shivani RajaConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 22375

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the National Curriculum in teaching primary and secondary school pupils about extreme weather risks and wildfire prevention.

Answered by Department for Education

Young people have consistently expressed a strong desire for more education on climate change, nature and sustainability. Teachers have also highlighted that limited depth on environmental topics in the national curriculum has made it difficult to develop effective provision in this area.

The department’s sustainability and climate change strategy acknowledges the importance of learning about possible solutions to climate change, and our analysis of the risks of extreme weather show extreme temperatures can negatively affect classroom attainment.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review recommended earlier sequencing and updated content on environmental content within the national curriculum subjects of citizenship, geography, science, and design and technology.

We expect there will be a public consultation on the proposals for the curriculum and assessment system in due course.

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