River Schools

River Schools

River Schools is an education and engagement programme that helps children and young people connect with their local river, understand what a healthy river needs, and take simple, practical action to care for it.

Building on the success of our Black Country River Schools programme, this project expands the approach to reach more schools and communities across the Severn catchment. Through classroom learning, outdoor sessions and hands-on activities, pupils discover how rivers work, what pressures they face and how people can be part of the solution.

What’s the aim?

• Help schools build long-term connections with their local river and green spaces.

• Improve river literacy and inspire the next generation of river guardians.

• Support real-world action, from litter picking and habitat improvements to citizen science-style monitoring.

Why we’re delivering it

Rivers are under pressure from pollution, habitat loss and changing weather patterns. If we want long term recovery across the Severn, we need restoration on the ground and we need people who care, notice problems and understand what good looks like.

River Schools is exciting because it builds a pipeline of confidence and curiosity. It helps young people step outside, learn from the river itself and feel a real sense of ownership over their local environment.

Funding

This project is funded by:

• David and Christine Lloyd Jones Foundation

• Duckworth Worcestershire Trust

• Department for Education

Bringing it to life

One of the best moments in River Schools is watching pupils’ confidence change in real time. A child who starts the session unsure about stepping onto the riverbank often ends it excitedly pointing out caddisfly cases, mayfly larvae or signs of erosion, then asking what we can do next.

In a year, this means more pupils learning outdoors and more schools equipped to keep river learning going. In five years, it helps create communities where caring for rivers is normal. In ten years, it supports the long game, a generation that understands rivers, expects better and is ready to lead change.