OCR has produced a series of free climate teaching resources to help schools deliver their climate action plans. The initiative is a partnership of the exam board with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Comberton Village School. 

The resources are suitable for delivery to students from Years 7 to 11 and provide information about climate change and sustainability in practical contexts. This includes being a sustainable business, greenwashing, and the differences between a linear and circular economy. 

OCR is working to increase the number of qualifications about sustainability and the natural world available to schools, but has also regularly called for more climate education across the curriculum, accessible to all students. This reflects demands from students and teachers themselves, as OCR’s Striking the Balance report found. 

These resources help to achieve that goal, providing accessible education about climate change and sustainability that can be delivered easily and flexibly to students, in addition to their chosen qualifications. 

The Department for Education’s (DfE) Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy for Education states that by 2025 all education settings should have a sustainability lead and climate action plan in place. The free resources from OCR help schools to meet this commitment with accessible learning materials.

The resources are designed to spark conversations with students, and can be delivered in a variety of settings, including assemblies or PHSE lessons. OCR is the UK exam board of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and the new resources are part of Cambridge’s commitment to climate education.

Christine Ozden, Global Director of Climate Education at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, said: “Young people are entering a world where climate change will impact them. They need to understand climate science, the impacts, the mitigations and the adaptations. In many cases, this will reshape careers and the industries in which they will work. It's important to study and deepen understanding of the broader social, economic and environmental issues of sustainability."

“We deliver education right around the world, and we know that there is a significant demand among young people for knowledge and experience in addressing environmental challenges to create a more sustainable future.” 

Patrick Gordon, Sustainability Lead at Comberton Village College, said: “Sustainability education was being demanded by students who wanted to be able to learn more about the climate emergency. 

“Most importantly though, they wanted to know how to recreate a thriving planet by using a solutions focused lens to look at a wide range of sustainability issues. This is a topic that can inspire students to become changemakers in their own lives as well as the wider community.” 

Jon Turner, Head of Education and Families, WWF-UK said: “We know from our own work in schools and colleges that students deeply care about sustainability and caring for our planet, but they do need help and support to understand how this care and concern can translate into sustainable career opportunities.”

The free resources can be accessed under 'Teacher Delivery Packs' on the resources page for OCR's Level 3 Certificate in Sustainability.