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

Ocean-Friendly Schools Award

The Ocean-Friendly Schools Award empowered thousands of young people to care for the ocean

    What was the Ocean-Friendly Schools Award?

    The Ocean-Friendly Schools Award, delivered between 2021 and 2026, empowered young people across the UK to learn about the ocean and take action to protect it.  

    Through free, curriculum-linked activities, schools explored marine pollution, overfishing or climate change and generated ideas to help reduce their impact on these issues from their classrooms. From investigating how the ocean affects their daily lives to designing creative campaigns for change in their communities, the award demonstrated how marine conservation can be made relevant and accessible for young people wherever they live.

    The Ocean-Friendly Schools Award may have ended, but its legacy lives on through the thousands of young people who took part. We hope they will continue learning, taking action and inspiring others to care for our seas.

    A group of primary school students standing on a beach. In the centre is an MCS employee wearing a hi-vis jacket. 5 dark green waste bags lay in front of them filled with litter found on the beach.

    A primary school taking part in a beach clean in Northern Ireland as part of their award  |  Image credit: Stephen Kelly

    Ocean literacy

    Ocean literacy was at the heart of the award, helping pupils to understand their impact on the ocean and its impact on us through their work. We reached schools in 133 council areas, and even one in the Turks and Caicos Islands, raising the profile of ocean literacy in the UK and UK Overseas Territories.  

    As part of the award, we asked pupils to complete an ocean literacy survey to gather their thoughts, knowledge and feelings about the ocean before starting and after finishing the award. Over 2,000 surveys were returned by pupils throughout the project, which provided valuable insight into the impact of the award on the ocean literacy levels of the young people taking part.

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

    Image credit: Park School, Bournemouth

    Having done all 3 awards over the last three years, the whole school is becoming more aware of what the ocean does for us and why we need to look after it.

    Class teacher at St Peter’s C of E Primary School

    £16367

    generously fundraised by schools throughout the project

    33,047

    pupils attended schools working towards their award, with a total of 2,256 pupils leading the work in their schools​

    75

    schools achieved their award between 2021 and 2026

    How it worked

    Real-life stories

    Between 2021 and 2026, 75 schools achieved their ocean-friendly status. Below are a couple of their stories.

    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

    In 2026, the brilliant team at Thomas’s Clapham in London achieved their award for the third time, with 240 pupils leading the work on their award over the past three 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

    The legacy

    Although the Ocean-Friendly Schools Award has now come to an end, its legacy continues through the thousands of young people it reached. We hope that the learning, actions and behaviours developed throughout the project will provide a strong foundation for the young people who took part to continue exploring and inspiring others to care for our seas, too.

    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.