Passionate students are not a new thing. Generations of young people have cared about, and acted on, a huge range of issues.

But something has changed. The recent global walkout of over 1.4 million young people over the lack of Climate Action is unprecedented. This is new territory for some schools, as recognised by the National Association of Headteachers with a motion in May 2019 pledging to support pupils to express their views and influence policy on climate change.

To support schools in responding to the school strikes, and to help them to channel this excitement into constructive action, Global Action Plan has created a Climate Chaos Response Toolkit. This aims to help teachers build on the enthusiasm, meeting student demands to have their voice heard in a way which is safe and manageable for the leadership team. 

The Climate Chaos Response toolkit is a free, practical resource to providing simple tools to support school leadership teams and governors to develop, or build on, their school’s positive response to the climate chaos.

The kit covers a range of resources for teachers to help schools:

• decide on both their approach to, and position, on the strikes and how to channel student energy
• equip staff to respond effectively to pupil concern and desire to be involved
• engage students with assembly plans and activities to build pupil insight into current global and national climate initiatives
• share what the school is doing and invite input where appropriate from interested stakeholders (i.e. parents/carers) in how they can best support pupils.

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