DfE announces funding for educational institutes to improve outside facilities

Article summary

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that £15m of funding will be made available to nurseries, schools and colleges to help them improve their outdoor learning facilities and improve biodiversity on their sites. DfE has said those educational institutes that rank lowest in Natural England’s measure of local access to natural space and in high deprivation areas will be eligible for a grant. The funding can be used to buy equipment, clothing and teaching tools or provide accessible routes to nature in special educational needs and disability (SEND) schools. Alongside the funding, the DfE has announced an online platform, ‘National Education Nature Park’, to help children document biodiversity changes around their school site. Schools, colleges and nurseries can register their interest in the platform which will launch in autumn 2023.