Curriculum reform in England is increasingly bringing climate and sustainability education into sharper focus, with the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) positioning it as a core part of what a modern curriculum should provide for all pupils.

The conversation with Climate Adaptive Pathways Education (CAPE) explores what it actually takes to turn that expectation into classroom reality. Rather than staying at policy level, it looks at the practical work of implementation: how teachers build secure subject knowledge, how climate concepts are sequenced across key stages, and how schools avoid superficial or fragmented approaches that can reinforce misconceptions.

A key argument running through the discussion is that climate education only works when it is treated as curriculum work, not an add-on. That means careful disciplinary thinking in subjects like science and geography, alongside sustained professional development that supports teachers to teach complex, evolving content with confidence and clarity.

The conversation also explores how pupils engage with climate issues emotionally as well as intellectually, and how education can support understanding without tipping into either overwhelm or oversimplification. Questions of equity and context are also central, recognising that climate impacts and lived experiences vary significantly between communities.

Taken together, the discussion frames climate education as a long-term curriculum challenge: one that requires coherence, expertise, and care if it is to move beyond tokenism and become genuinely meaningful for pupils.

Reflection questions

For teachers

• How do I ensure climate and sustainability content is taught with accuracy and appropriate sequencing, avoiding misconceptions?
• In what ways can I connect climate education to the local context of my pupils?
• How do I support pupils to engage emotionally with climate issues while also developing a sense of agency?
• How confident am I in teaching climate-related content within my subject discipline, not just as standalone information?
• What opportunities do I have to emphasise collective action rather than individualised responsibility?

 For subject leaders

•  How coherently is climate education sequenced across our curriculum to avoid repetition or gaps in understanding?
• Where does climate and sustainability knowledge sit within our subject discipline, and how is it built over time?
• How are we addressing common misconceptions in climate science and sustainability across key stages?
• How do we ensure curriculum materials are high quality and not overly reliant on unmoderated external resources?
• How are we supporting teachers to develop subject-specific confidence in teaching climate-related content?

Download additional questions for your team here

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