Yesterday, Pauline Stirling and I had the pleasure of spending a fantastic day at King’s Academy Bay House in Gosport (UK), introducing 360 Year 7 pupils to the Air We Breathe programme as part of their International Day.
Despite the heat, students showed impressive engagement with the central question: What is air pollution and who in the world suffers most? Through a series of interactive activities, pupils explored the history of air pollution, examined its causes, and analysed real-time air quality data from around the globe. Importantly, they also reflected on the practical steps individuals can take to help reduce pollution—both locally and globally.
This event builds on six months of pilot activity across all 15 schools in the King’s Group Academies (KGA) network. During this time, schools have been integrating elements of the Air We Breathe programme into both curriculum and extracurricular settings, tailoring the experience to their own communities and learners.
Some inspiring examples include:
King’s Academy Meadow Vale (Bracknell): The school’s eco club created impactful “no idling” campaigns, designing posters to raise awareness among parents and carers during drop-off and pick-up times.
King’s Academy College Park (Portsmouth): Year 5 pupils co-developed a bespoke learning programme in collaboration with Amity International School Abu Dhabi, demonstrating the power of international partnership.
King’s Academy Northern Parade (Portsmouth): A whole-school Air We Breathe Day on World Environment Day engaged over 550 pupils from Years 1 to 6.
Across the wider network, schools have embedded the programme into geography lessons, enrichment activities, and international events—ensuring sustainability learning is both meaningful and visible.
A key development has been the installation of IQAir monitors across participating schools. These tools enable students to gather, share, and compare real-time air quality data with peers and international partners, supporting authentic, collaborative scientific enquiry.
This pilot phase has clearly demonstrated the value of our sustained partnership with King’s Group Academies—a relationship that began over five years ago at King’s Academies Bay House and Brune Park in Gosport. Looking ahead, we are excited to deepen this collaboration further, embedding rich, international sustainability experiences like Air We Breathe into the wider curriculum.
Together, we are equipping the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and global perspective needed to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
