Poets are being paired with climate scientists to bring climate change education into schools through the Hot Poets Ignite programme. Michael Rosen says he would like the UK curriculum to weave climate action through different subjects, presenting positive examples rather than making pupils feel guilty. The initiative aims to explain the urgency of action and highlight ongoing initiatives.

More than 20 poets have been matched with scientists to deliver climate education in schools. Rosen has contributed one of the poems. The programme targets key stage 2 and younger key stage 3 pupils. The poems cover topics such as wind energy, cycling and whale poo, and are collected in a new book called Wonder. Thunder. Blunder. The project has also developed resources with Oxford University’s Climate Research Network and UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, including video lessons led by Rosen. Participating poets include Joseph Coelho, Vanessa Kisuule, Bohdan Piasecki, Kate Fox, Testament, Christian Foley and Valerie Bloom. The poets will perform at the Southbank Imagine Festival in February, and Rosen will perform for National Poetry Day in 2026.

The government began a review of the national curriculum and assessment last year and has confirmed that citizenship will be compulsory in primary schools, including climate education, with the new curriculum to be taught in full from September 2028. On assessments, Rosen says there is too much standardised testing and calls for lower-stakes, formative assessments to reduce pressure on teachers. The reforms also include reducing GCSE exam time by about 2.5 to three hours for the average student. Labour has proposed a statutory reading test for year 8. A report quoted education secretary Bridget Phillipson urging opponents to consider the outcomes for working-class pupils. Cambridge University Press & Assessment’s climate education director Christine Ozden says climate education delivered creatively, such as through poetry, helps build awareness, communication and a sense of agency among pupils. The events at the Southbank Imagine Festival and National Poetry Day are part of the broader effort to engage students with climate topics.