Beacon Schools are exemplary schools that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to addressing the climate emergency in their school grounds and through their teaching and learning.

Benefits of being a Beacon School

  • Additional trees and hedgerow packs, tailored to your school’s plans

  • Additional free technology, such as wildlife cameras

  • Opportunities to trial and develop new resources

  • Partnerships with other schools and organisations

  • In-school workshops and experiences for pupils

  • Access to a regional leader for bespoke support

Want to know more?

What is a Beacon School?

Beacon Schools are schools that have successfully delivered a YTC school project, have shared their activities with the YTC community via the Schools Hub and have completed a self-assessment that demonstrates the impact of their project and a continued commitment to trees and nature.

Once a school achieves Beacon School status it becomes part of an outstanding community of schools who support the shaping and development of the Young Tree Champions programme. Opportunities also include trialling new technology and working with wider partners like forest schools to develop bespoke workshops. Beacon Schools can also apply to receive visits from our ambassadors.

How to become a Beacon School

Beacon Schools are determined once a school has completed its project and submitted an end of project self-assessment form. To achieve Beacon School status a school needs to demonstrate in its self-assessment and through posts in our Schools Hub, that it is excelling in connecting, learning and sharing the power of trees and nature, both in school and nationally (by being active in the Schools Hub).

Beacon Schools are announced at the annual Force for Nature festival. We also look to award two Outstanding Beacons Schools, who have gone the extra mile to be a Force for Nature. These schools receive a voucher for £200 to use for a trip or resources for their project.

What does it mean to be a beacon school?

Read about our Beacon Schools

Find out about the journey that some of our Beacon Schools have been on and the work they are carrying out to tackle the nature emergency.

Trees, health and wellbeing

Pinner Wood Primary

By developing their outdoor learning area and embedding its use into the curriculum, new opportunities were created for pupils to engage with trees and nature in a beautiful outdoor space.

Trees, health and wellbeing

Llanmartin Primary School

The school has created new learning opportunities for their students, including a high quality outdoor teaching resource to engage students in learning across the curriculum.

Trees and Biodiversity

St Alban’s CE (Aided) Primary School

This student-led project developed the biodiversity of the school grounds, for the whole community.