By Orna Herr, Communications Officer (Education) at the British Science Association

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What a difference some greenery makes.

Earlier this year, the Guardian revealed the findings of their exclusive study into the amount of green space students have access to in state and private schools. What their analysis found was shocking, but sadly not hugely surprising.

Children at the top 250 English private schools have more than 10 times as much outdoor space as those who go to state schools.

State school students have access to, on average, 32 square metres of green space per student. For private school students, that number shoots up to 322 square metres.

At Eton College, the all-boys school famously attended by royals and future prime ministers, there is 4,445 square metres of green space per student – 140 times more than at the average state school.

In fact, some state schools have no green space at all.

This is one of the many disparities that young people are facing today; even their opportunity to enjoy the benefits of time spent out in nature is dictated by the socioeconomic background they were born into.

“Unequal access to green space is likely to have a profound effect”

Professor Michael Marmot, director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, told the Guardian:

Unequal access to green space is likely to have a profound effect on children’s mental and physical wellbeing, citing evidence that exercising in green space improves mental health and reduces inequalities in mortality, and is also likely to impact increasing rates of childhood obesity.

Studies have shown that spending time in green spaces can have an impact on young people’s relationship to nature and the environment, and foster conservationism – something that is desperately needed in the next generation. Hands-on learning about nature can also open students’ eyes to careers that involve working with plants and animals.

State school students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds who might not have much access to green spaces out of school hours either (read our blog on this inequality here), are not getting a fair chance to develop a relationship with the natural world. As the climate crisis intensifies, this could impact us all.

“Budgetary constraints and curriculum demands”

This is, of course, not the fault of state schools. Teachers working in schools that have limited green space undoubtedly do everything they can to provide students with a well-rounded education.

Experts told the Guardian that in some state schools, “budgetary constraints and curriculum demands often mean that sport and other outdoor activities can’t be prioritised in the same way”. Dan Paskins, director of UK impact at Save the Children said:

The UK government must urgently look at how it can dramatically improve access to green spaces for schoolchildren from all economic backgrounds.

“It just opens up the conversation around science”

This is not a simple issue for teachers to navigate in the meantime. However, the British Science Association can offer support to schools in challenging circumstances to take their students out to green spaces.

To help schools celebrate British Science Week, next happening 7-16 March 2025, we offer a Kick Start Grant – £400 to fund events and activities during the Week. Applications open on 17 September – find all the information you’ll need:

British Science Week Kick Start Grants

In 2022, Regent High School, a secondary school in Camden, London, received the grant and used the money to take their Year 7 students to Kew Gardens, botanical gardens in west London.

Richard Harrison, then Director of Community Engagement at Regent, gave a presentation about the trip to Kew Gardens at our Engage Network Teacher Conference.

He shared how he wanted the students starting secondary school to be infused with excitement about STEM*, and see the real-world applications. Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 50,000 living plants – 50,000 opportunities to marvel at biodiversity!

Richard explained that the trip to Kew Gardens to explore growth and diversity elicited ideas from other teachers for British Science Week, including growing cress and breeding butterflies. These projects helped keep STEM engagement going past the Week. He told us:

The funding has allowed us to get the kids out… and it just opens up the conversation around science and makes science something that isn't just based in a laboratory in school but it's something that is filling the world around our students and providing them with opportunities in the future.

Inequalities in the education system are wide-ranging, and are embedding inequality in society for years to come. Equitable opportunities for young people to experience the world, connect with nature and learn about their career options are essential for a better, fairer future.

Equal access to green space at school is not an issue that can be solved quickly or easily, but our support can help provide opportunities to allow all students to experience nature. Greenery is not a resource that should be reserved for the affluent, we all have a stake in the Earth.

Other blogs you might be interested in:

Equality in access to natural spaces is essential for a more eco-friendly future

Green Careers Week – it’s about time

*STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and maths