Meet Raphaela Harris, Year 1 teacher and Eco-coordinator at Goldstone Primary School, Sussex
"It's not difficult to say, I'm going to take my class outside today to read a story rather than inside. Small things can make a big difference."
When Year 1 teacher Raphaela Harris arrived at Goldstone Primary School in Brighton, the outdoor growing space was overgrown and neglected. A chance conversation with a parent changed everything. With backing from the headteacher and funding from the parent association, a trained horticulturist now works with every class in what staff call the ‘living classroom’. For children who struggle indoors, the garden has become a refuge. The school is now partnering with University of Sussex researchers to explore climate anxiety in primary-aged children – one of the first UK studies of its kind.
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Climate Courage case studies
Each week, we're sharing one of our stories of pioneer educators demonstrating what proper climate education can look like.
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Goldstone Primary School sits on the edge of Brighton, but when Year 1 teacher and eco-coordinator Raphaela Harris first arrived, its outdoor learning potential was underused. The old vegetable-growing area had become overgrown and difficult for teachers to manage. "It was getting a bit neglected, and it was quite a hard space for children to go into and use successfully," she recalls.
Then a chance encounter changed everything. One summer, while Harris was setting up her classroom, she bumped into a parent painting a wall. Their conversation turned into a plan: bring in a trained horticulturist to revive the space and support staff to use it. With backing from the headteacher and funding from the parent association, gardener Ruth joined the school for one day a week. The transformation was immediate. The living classroom was born.
"She became so much more than we'd anticipated," says Harris. "She was brilliant with the children as well as the garden." A gardening club soon expanded into something bigger: every class, from nursery to Year 6, now receives dedicated time in the living classroom. Teachers use it for reading, science, geography, or as a quiet breakout area. Children eat lunch among the beds, water plants, weed pathways, and see themselves as caretakers of a shared space.
If this story resonates with you, we need your help to support the educators on the front lines. Please donate to and spread the word about our 2026 Crowdfunder if you'd like to see more stories like this reach schools and policymakers.
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The rewards of outdoor learning
One of the most striking impacts has been on pupils who struggle in the traditional classroom. "Children who may be struggling and find it challenging to grapple with academia … you can see them thriving in the living classroom."
"It’s a place of real rest and tranquillity," Harris reflects. The garden has become a refuge and a space where the usual hierarchies of the classroom fade. "You'll find children who might have emotional behavioural difficulties or SEN challenges… You'll go and you'll see them weeding in the living classroom or watering plants and it feels like they could be successful there."
Year 5 pupils take part in an annual dig for victory unit which forms part of their World War II history curriculum. They grow vegetables from seed, harvest them, and turn them into soups shared with parents. Their work has spun out into the wider curriculum: Year 2 pupils have designed work clothes for Ruth as part of their 'make do and mend' DT unit, and science lessons explore bulbs, weather instruments, and plant life cycles. "We’re so time poor," Harris notes. "Rather than an add-on, having it embedded within the curriculum means it doesn't feel like extra work."
When Ofsted inspectors visited recently, pupils were asked to choose their favourite parts of the school to show off. Every location they picked was outdoors.
Yet Harris has also noticed that younger children today appear less aware of climate and nature issues than those a few years ago – perhaps a result of news cycles dominated by cost-of-living pressures and international politics. This makes the school’s role even more important.
The system that nurtures the soil
Despite the success of Goldstone’s model, Harris is keenly aware how fragile such initiatives can be within the constraints of state education. Time, staffing, and resources are the primary barriers. "If you're asking teachers to do something on top of everything else, it often won't happen."
The school’s leadership made key decisions – cutting minibus funding and delaying iPad upgrades – to sustain two days a week of horticulturalist support. Without that, Harris believes the living classroom simply wouldn’t function.
Initial teacher training also leaves gaps, she says. Many teachers feel under-confident outdoors, and few receive guidance on handling the emotions that arise when confronting a warming world. Goldstone is now planning to partner with a University of Sussex researcher to explore climate anxiety among primary-aged pupils, hoping to form one of the first studies of its kind in the UK.
What advice would she give other schools? "You can’t do it all by yourself," Harris says simply. Success depends on finding 'ambassadors' – supportive senior leaders, keen staff, engaged parents – and framing outdoor learning not as extra work but interweaving it as part of the curriculum.
Every step matters. "It's not difficult to say, I'm going to take my class outside today to read a story rather than inside. Small things can make a big difference."
This case study was written by Sarah Trott.
Help us bridge the gap
To date, Climate Courage has been a lean, high-impact operation. In 2025, we operated on just £60,000 to build our strategy and produce this film. We have already secured half of our 2026 budget, but we need at least £30,000 more.
This is the bare minimum of "bridge" funding that allows us to move from a grassroots campaign and give us the stability we need to secure further funding and turn this into a national resource. Your support will allow us to deliver:
- A high-impact media push to get teacher and student voices into the national press.
- A digital directory connecting schools and teachers directly with mental health and adaptation experts.
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From our network
Across our growing network, people are creating space for hope, action and connection. Here are a few upcoming opportunities and events you might want to be part of.
Come along to a confidential and non-judgmental space for educators to process their own emotions with respect to the climate and ecological crisis, in a community of teachers that "get it". Reserve a place here.
Along with the Ministry of Eco Education, NEU, UCU, Unison and the Campaign Against Climate Change, we are co-organising this one day event.
Join other educators, activists, politicians, business leaders, governors, parents and charities from across education spectrum to explore the role of educators in organising for a just transition and discuss questions including 'How can we teach difficult climate truths without overwhelming ourselves or our students?' and 'How can we stop greenwashing in education?'?
The event will culminate with the release of a co-created statement to share the learnings and outcomes of the day.
Join for a dynamic day of inspiration, collaboration, and practical action, bringing together national and regional experts in sustainability in education to help schools deliver on their climate action plans. Book your place for Bedfordshire on Feb 25, Essex on March 25, or Suffolk & Norfolk on June 22.
What we're watching
- The wonderful film Actionism is now available to watch on Waterbear. The story follows Ellie Meredith, a 19-year-old who, like many young people, feels the weight of climate anxiety. This short film is about the art of finding your people to take collective action, about shifting from being passive consumers to active citizens, and about doing things with others.
- In case you missed it, you can catch up on our launch event last week: The Hardest Lesson | Launch event
Thanks again!
Josephine
