A classroom of children sitting on the floor looking at a screen, some have their hands up

Ocean-Friendly Schools Award

Our free award empowered thousands of students to care for the future of the ocean.

    The Ocean-Friendly Schools Award has now come to an end. Please see our range of free learning resources to continue exploring our seas.

    What was the Ocean-Friendly Schools Award?

    The Ocean-Friendly Schools Award helped pupils explore the wonders of the sea, learn about the issues it's facing, and get inspired to protect it from their classroom.

    Led by our experienced Learning Officer, pupils across the country took part in a whole-school assembly followed by a series of interactive, curriculum‑linked activities for a class or year group. From investigating how the ocean affects our daily lives to creating a campaign to create positive change, every session was designed to be engaging, accessible, and relevant.

    A young girl sitting on a beach with her hand up

    A school pupil sitting on a beach with her hand up  |  Image credit: Billy Barraclough

    How it worked

    Ocean action areas

    Schools chose one of two important conservation topics to focus on. Both topics included a pathway of activities to complete and we also provided optional extra tasks for a deeper dive.

    Clean up our seas

    From marine litter and chemicals to tiny microplastics, pupils explored the impact of pollution on our ocean and the marine life that call it home.

    Fight climate change

    Pupils discovered the connection between the ocean and climate change and how taking small steps can make a big difference to our blue planet.

    OOR StitchUp, Leeds

    A group of school children  |  Image credit: Lorna Donaghy

    Four key steps

    Achieving the award

    After finishing their work on the award, pupils shared what they had learned with their community and submitted evidence such as images, videos, documents and PDFs to showcase their efforts.

    Our team then reviewed the evidence before confirming that pupils were officially an Ocean‑Friendly School! The schools received an engraved bamboo award to display with pride.

    A class having their picture taken near Scarborough beach  |  Image credit: John Westgarth

    Real-life stories

    Last year, a record-breaking 27 schools achieved their award. Check out two of their stories below!

    Leverhulme Memorial Primary School, Isle of Harris

    In 2025, our first Gaelic medium school and the first in the Western Isles, Leverhulme Memorial School/Sgoil an t-Òib on the Isle of Harris, achieved their award.

    This fantastic group ran experiments on microfibres, a clothes swap event, and even invited their local government representative into school for their Big Blue Day!

    Some students and 2 adults standing in front of an outside wall with an image of a waste funnel

    Pupils with Alasdair Allan MSP at Leverhulme Memorial Primary School/Sgoil an t-Òib on the Isle of Harris  |  Image credit: Mairi Macleod

    The brilliant thing was that it empowered the children to become agents of change. They now know that they can change not only their own habits, but drive change in the community and perhaps even the country!

    Mairi Macleod, lead teacher at Leverhulme Memorial Primary School

    Thomas’s Clapham, London

    The brilliant team at Thomas’s Clapham in London have achieved their award for the second year running, with over 240 pupils getting involved in the past two years.

    From site visits, guest speakers and speech writing to an environmental march at school, we can't wait to see what these impressive young people will do next!

    4 school children standing in front of a classroom. There is a presentation named "Stop Ocean Pollution" on the whiteboard

    Plastic pollution presentation by pupils at Thomas's Clapham  |  Image credit: Anna Stringer

    Our pupils wrote letters to supermarkets about plastic pollution, held debates on environmental issues, took part in environmental protests and presented their own sustainable solutions, all around the theme of saving our ocean. Taking part in this award has supported our journey to becoming an environmentally led school.

    Anna Stringer, lead teacher at Thomas’s Clapham

    Check out our teaching resources

    A child wearing a red dinosaur patterned outfit and blue wellies is holding a litter picker and posing for the camera

    Ages 5-7

    Teach key ocean topics to your class or group with ocean-themed resources for ages 5-7, or those in Key Stage 1, Progression Steps 1-2 and P1-P3 in the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
    A young girl sitting on a beach with her hand up

    Ages 7-11

    Teach key ocean topics to your class or group with our downloadable resources for ages 7-11 or those in Key Stage 2, Progression Steps 2-3 and P4-P7 in the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)

    Activities

    If you're looking for ocean-themed fun for the kids, then you're in the right place! Here you'll find games, activities and fun for all the family.