Benefits of a Nature Premium
Improvement of children’s mental wellbeing outcomes – saving short-term cost of mental health interventions that have developed during lockdown.
Encouraging higher levels of physical activity, addressing obesity levels that developed during lockdown.
Building vitamin D levels and children’s immune systems, to help fight viruses.
Reconnecting children and staff to nature, reducing stress levels.
Reconnecting over 4,727,090 children to nature; children’s experience with nature is varied, with almost 25% spending time outside less than once a month.
Benefiting ethnic minority children (33% average in primary schools), improving their health and encouraging diversity in countryside experiences.
The likely return of investment. OECD research shows that investment in early years/ primary age has a greater return than in secondary education.
Helping children manage their own safety, understand the importance of hygiene, prevent cross-contamination and play within their coronavirus safety bubble.
Enabling schools to bring in Forest School / Outdoor Learning experts who can facilitate nature connection and contact. The expertise exists in the outdoor education and conservation industry.
Enabling good quality Outdoor Learning to start immediately rather than putting pressure on teachers to go through additional training. This is an immediate solution to the staff capacity problem.
Supporting teaching outside to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and other airborne diseases.
It is in line with Natural England and Defra research and policies.
It is in line with the Chief Medical Officer’s statements and medical research.
Short Term Benefits
Enabling Head Teachers to support Outdoor Learning and all its benefits avoiding difficult either/or decisions because of limited resources.
Providing opportunities to access existing local outdoor learning provision and residential courses.
The improvement of vulnerable children’s mental wellbeing outcomes – reducing the investment required for existing conditions.
Encouraging higher levels of physical activity, addressing obesity levels that are the result of deprivation and lifestyle.
Fulfilling a curriculum requirement from the Ofsted framework to create an enriched curriculum.
Improving levels of children’s creativity; a PISA criterium for 2021-22.
Compatibility with the government published A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment.
Compatibility with Natural England and Defra research and policies.
Building children’s understanding of how they fit into the British countryside.
Building children’s knowledge of environmental issues and how they can care for their local community and the planet.
Building the knowledge base of educators and children around biodiversity and the management of nature rich school grounds.
Building a generation that can develop the economic value of the UK wildlife and countryside.
Preparing students to study the new GCSE in natural history.
Preparing a generation that will want to contribute to the National Nature Service.
Preparing a generation that wants to work in green industries in the environmental sector.
Showing commitment to the UN Sustainable Development goals.
Setting a gold standard for education at an international level.