Air quality day

Suitable for all schools and nurseries. Supports the Geography National Curriculum.

Overview

Education phase

Early years Key stage 2 Key stage 3 Key stage 4 Key stage 5 Key stage 1

Category of activity

Travel

Types of activity

Cycling Smarter Driving Walking Scooting Better Driving Public Transport

How it helps

Supports the Geography National Curriculum
Raises awareness of Air Quality
Improves air quality around schools

Use Resources

Clean Air Day Assembly Primary Schools Clean Air Day Assembly Guide Primary Schools Clean Air Day Assembly Secondary Schools Clean Air Day Assembly Guide Secondary Schools

Useful Links

Visit the Clean Air Day website

About the activity

Run an Air Quality Day at your school to raise awareness of ways we can all help clean up London’s air through our travel choices and improve air quality.

It's a great chance to talk to your school about what air quality means, you can do this in class or via an assembly plan. This could be a simple message home to parents or a themed homework plan.

See the attached assembly guide and script to support your pupils.

It could be a good time to launch an Air Quality competition, or celebrate the progress your school has made in improving air quality.

Here are some other ideas for getting pupils and parents involved:

Participate in Clean Air Day 2024 - Clean Air Day
Launch an Air Quality competition
Create walking zone maps to see who lives within a walkable distance of school
Run a route planning exercise and discuss active travel and Air Quality
Set up a Park and Stride scheme to give everyone the opportunity to walk at least part of their way to school
Create a car-free zone for a healthier and safer environment
Introduce an anti-idling campaign to improve air quality around the school gates

Activity steps

Step 1

Get planning. Set up a team or work with your school travel working group or eco council to choose when you will celebrate Air Quality Day

Step 2

Be resourceful. With your school travel working group decide how you’d like to mark the day.

Step 3

Shout about it! Promote the activities you’re planning and their environmental benefits to the wider school community with posters and an article in the newsletter or on the website

Step 4

Air Quality Day! Use Air Quality Day to raise awareness among your school community and beyond. Have fun and don’t forget to take photos!

Step 5

Tell your story! Upload your evidence to "my activities"