The Morecambe Bay Curriculum is an educator-led movement and a cross-sector partnership supported by 快播视频, 快播视频 and Morecambe College, University of Cumbria and the Eden Project.
Together, we empower children and young people to become the change-makers and innovators that our planet needs, through a community-curated, place-based approach to learning about sustainability.
Our Vision
Embedded throughout everything we do is our focus on Place, Sustainability and Environment. We weave these themes throughout everyday education from Early Years through to Higher Education. Together we are improving ecosystems of the Bay and increasing connection to nature for educators and young people.
We envision a Morecambe Bay where children and young people are proud of their heritage and culture, curious about their environment and community, and confident about their future and potential. Our programmes and activities therefore also contribute to at least one of three wider change dimensions; mental and physical health, work and local economy and people and community.
Our Values
Our values are the principles that guide our work and shape our culture. They are:
Head, Heart and Hands: we embed knowledge, values and skills in everything we do.
Strength in the Collective: we succeed through partnership and collaboration.
Learning from each other: we value peer to peer learning at all levels.
Celebrating Place: we use a strength-based approach that celebrates Morecambe Bay.
Our Theory of Change
The MBC Steering Group collaborated on a theory of change model, exploring the scope of impact the Morecambe Bay Curriculum can have within the community.
Together, the steering group identified areas of impact for the project. The core areas of impact are on young people, educators, place and environment. Secondary impact areas include mental and physical health, work and local economy and people and community.
Our Impact
Key outcomes we have seen so far:
325+ educational members and 135 partner schools, colleges and universities
36 Educator designed and delivered programmes, including the Eden Bear who has visited 100+ nurseries over the last three years.
16 age-specific subject resource packs co-designed by 40+ teachers and LU academics, focused on place and sustainability, linked to the National Curriculum. 130+ resources created to support educators in translating this work into the classroom.
Three annual conferences so far, with 180+ educators gathering for the MBC’s 2025 Conference; enabling knowledge exchange, network development and training.
6 working groups, with a membership of over 60+ educators and community supporters who meet regularly to plan activities, campaigns and resources that support educators and young people from Early Years through to Further Education, inclusive of SEND and Alternative Provision.
MBC is recognised and celebrated by the Key Cities Network, the Edge Foundation, the Foundation of Education Development and National Education Nature Parks, and has been promoted by the British Educational Research Association and ITV Regional News.
Our Team
The Morecambe Bay Curriculum team work alongside partners, teachers, young people and community members who are committed to enabling the Morecambe Bay Curriculum to grow and thrive.
Read more about our areas of expertise and individual responsibilities below. Contact our team on mbc@lancaster.ac.uk
L-R: David, Carys, Stacey, Rosemary, Beth and Irene
In each accordion section below you will hear more about each team member and their areas of expertise. accordion
Beth is a lecturer in educational research and social justice, who has experience of delivering programmes in Education Studies, teacher training and postgraduate research in education. Her own research focuses on outdoor and environmental learning, teacher motivation and how to support schools to use the coast to build positive relationships with place.
Talk to Beth about:
Research opportunities and collaborations
Pedagogies and environmental education
Outdoor learning and beach school
b.garrett[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Stacey has extensive experience as a senior leader in secondary education across the north west, supporting schools to raise aspirations for pupils through literacy, engagement and opportunity. As an MBC project manager, she has operational oversite of co-designed curriculum projects, the FE Green Passport and knowledge exchange work with HMP 快播视频 Farms.
Talk to Stacey about:
Co-designing educational resources
Embedding place and sustainability in your curriculum
Supporting projects to champion pride in people and place
s.gatley[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Rosemary has over 30 years’ experience of project management in universities, including planning, delivering, reporting, monitoring and evaluating many large-scale collaborative widening participation, research and knowledge exchange initiatives. She is the longest-serving member of the MBC team and a passionate environmental activist.
Talk to Rosemary about:
MBC Annual Conference
Joining the MBC Community
MBC Newsletter
r.hindley1[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Carys is an experienced senior charity leader with expertise in social and environmental justice, youth development and supporting people to feel hopeful about the future. Alongside her work on the Morecambe Bay Curriculum, Carys chairs the trustee board at the Energy Saving Trust Foundation.
Talk to Carys about:
Partnership and governance
Community building
Funding opportunities
carys.nelkon[at]lancaster.ac.uk
David is the Co-Design lead of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum, working at the intersection of social design, participatory practice, and design research. His work focuses on using co-design as a form of inquiry to support inclusive, place-based innovation with organisations, communities and public sector partners.
Talk to David about:
Co-Design research and practice
Research opportunities and collaborations
Community-led projects
d.perez[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Irene has extensive experience of creating and delivering, innovative STEM activities. As the “Rubbish Lady” of the North, Irene facilitated children auditing school waste, project managed the storyboarding interpretation of Lancashire’s waste treatment plant, delivered 300 class sessions per year. In the last 8 years, Irene delivered engineering workshops to almost every school around Morecambe Bay!
Talk to Irene about
MBC Working groups
STEM themed activities and opportunities
STEM-related funding opportunities
i.wise[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Our Journey So Far
Inspired by plans for an Eden Project Morecambe, educators around Morecambe Bay began to explore how sustainability, environment and place can be best weaved into everyday teaching practices. Recognising this innovative work, 快播视频, 快播视频 and Morecambe College, University of Cumbria and Eden Project have formed a partnership committed to supporting the growth of this work.
Explore our timeline below to learn more about how this movement has grown from a meeting of minds to a fast-growing and nationally recognised movement for educational and social change.
accordion
January
快播视频 hosts the Eden Project team and organises a trip to Morecambe. Plans to create an begin.
November
Principal of 快播视频 & Morecambe College visits Eden Project Cornwall to discuss partnership opportunities; leading to the inception of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum.
Spring
As part of 快播视频's role as a Civic University, the institution holds a Big Conversation focused on the opportunities Eden Project Morecambe could bring, including lifelong education opportunities.
Spring to Autumn
Principal of 快播视频 & Morecambe College and the Head of Eden Project Learning meet with key local stakeholders, including the 快播视频 and Morecambe Headteacher Cluster, and momentum for what will become the MBC grows.
From these conversations several groups begin to meet monthly; Partnership Board, Steering Group, Early Years, Primary and Special Schools Working Group, Cumbria Schools Working Group, 快播视频 and Morecambe Secondary Schools Working Group, Further Education Working Group, Children in Care Working Group and Higher Education Working Group.
Winter 快播视频 & Morecambe College set up an Eden Hub which MBC educators use as they start to plan how they can embed place, sustainability and environment into their day-to-day teaching.
May
快播视频 and Eden Project jointly appoint Eden Project North Chair of Education and Engagement, based in 快播视频’s School of Social Sciences, to work closely with the local education community on the MBC. This includes regular talks with teachers, the NHS, voluntary and cultural organisations, charities, MPs, councillors, local press and FE staff.
July
Our Educational Programme for Morecambe Bay: A Curriculum for Lifestyle Learning statement created and agreed by the Early Years, Primary and Special School Working Group.
‘Noticing’ pilot project (Biodiversity Logbooks) developed by Computing and Design colleagues at 快播视频 in Ryelands Primary and Nursery School then rolled out to other local primary schools, seeking to reduce ‘plant blindness’ among primary children.
storytelling project, originally commissioned by Morecambe Bay Partnership, starts in schools (EY, Pri and Special Schools Working Group).
January
Clarence the Cart Horse story is written, with a focus on celebrating oral storytelling traditions in the region (EY, Pri and Special Schools Working Group).
February
Launch of Eden Bear oral storytelling project. Eden Bear starts their journey travelling around Early Years settings in Morecambe Bay, collecting children’s stories and hopes for the Bay (EY, Pri and Special Schools Working Group).
Public talk hosted by 快播视频’s Vice-Chancellor on the unique place-based curriculum focused on Morecambe Bay, featuring Professor Robert Winston.
March
快播视频 appoints an MBC team of three to support partners and educators to grow this special movement.
June The Association of Colleges awards 快播视频 and Morecambe College a National Beacon Award for its work on the MBC.
July
Professor Jo Warin and Emma Higginson completed a report exploring the contribution of the Eden Bear project, entitled ‘Children shaping the Morecambe Bay Curriculum through storytelling: Eden Bear Project’. This highlighted the value of local stories in promoting oracy and developing pupils’ relationship to place.
September
The MBC’s sister project, launches, supporting schools to re-wild grounds and grow their own food.
University of Cumbria embed the MBC into their Initial Teacher Training modules.
Ceri Holman completed her MA thesis entitled: Sustainability education and place: Constraints in secondary schools and the potential for deeper learning through the Morecambe Bay Curriculum. The research demonstrates the value of a holistic approach to and for sustainable education, but also explores the barriers to achieving this in secondary education.
October The University of Cumbria MBC Think Tank of trainee teachers is formed.
February
Cumbrian teachers decide to work on four key strands; Capturing and Mapping of Stories of the Bay, Reimagining School Grounds, Agriculture and Farmers as Custodians of the Landscape, and Living in the Lakes (Cumbria Schools Working Group).
March MBC hosts 30 schools as part of the 快播视频 District Pupil Parliament at 快播视频 and Morecambe College, creating a Climate Charter over 3 days of activity.
Wellness Woods at St Paul’s Junior School in Barrow-in-Furness are opened for activities, including a canopy, bird boxes and storytelling area. Regular visits to the wood from the South Cumbria PRU start a successful collaboration (Cumbria Schools Working Group).
Geography Subject Leaders and the Think Tank launch s at University of Cumbria’s Geography Leaders’ conference.
January
Eden Project Morecambe awarded £50m from the UK Government.
Morecambe Bay Curriculum logo finalised and an official website is launched. Morecambe Bay Curriculum Steering Group meet to develop the movement’s theory of change, identifying that what matters most to those involved are young people, educators, our environment and its sustainability. Wellbeing, Green Skills and Community are also recognised as important elements of the project.
May
The Lost Sounds project creates interactive soundscapes of bird calls through Digital Naturalists activities. Aimed at Year 5s, the project is supported by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, RSPB and National Trust. The resources can be borrowed by schools and community groups.
Little Researchers project is launched. Nine 快播视频 students work alongside four primary schools and one nursery to research their local surroundings. This research was later presented by the children at 快播视频 University.
June
The Half Hectare Projectexplores bringing young people together to think about where food comes from. Workshops are held with local school learners at 快播视频 & Morecambe College on food production in a community space.
July
First annual MBC Conference takes place at 快播视频, with educator-led discussions, stalls and speeches. Over 100 people attend. The Chairs of the Early Years & Primary Working Group and the Cumbria Schools Working Group share the path forward for the MBC. It is announced that 快播视频 intends to invest £65,000 into the project to help academics and teachers create curriculum resources.
August
Little Researchers interviewed on BBC Radio Lancashire about their findings!
September
快播视频 appoints new role of Lecturer in the Morecambe Bay Curriculum.
The MBC is outlined in the Child of the North report as an example of place-based responses to climate change, which can make a positive difference to children’s health and education.
The MBC is presented as an example of universities working with their communities to tackle climate change at the .
January
Following November’s decisions, teachers are matched with academic partners from 快播视频 and explore how place-based and environmental research can be featured in the National Curriculum. The first workshop at 快播视频 Castle includes an inspirational talk from Eden Project.
February
MBC membership and Moodle are launched, open to every educator around the Bay.
March
First MBC newsletter sent to all official members of the movement.
April
The Key Cities publication ‘’ is launched at a parliamentary dinner led by Rebecca Long-Bailey MP. The full article detailing the MBC as a case study is included within this entitled ‘The Morecambe Bay Curriculum: Bringing about culture change through education’.
MBC is included as a case study in the Ocean and Coastal Futures report entitled ‘.
May
MBC Steering Group and Partnership Board meet at 快播视频 to discuss priorities for a five-year strategy.
June
The MBC is shared as a of good practice as part of FED’s Climate Change and Sustainability toolkit.
July
Second annual MBC Conference held at 快播视频. Over 200 people attend. Resources for our Bay; Place, Sustainability, Environment and Hope launched, featuring sixteen co-designed curriculum resources designed to support educators. Participants get a sneak peek into Eden Project Morecambe. 40 community-led workshops delivered.
The MBC’s curriculum co-design project presented at the in Cambridge. The paper was entitled Bridging the academic – practitioner divide: The Morecambe Bay Curriculum’s Innovative Approach to Co-designing Educational Resources.
MBC and Overton St Helen’s Primary School are featured on ITV ‘Granada Reports’, with the presenter commenting “This should be rolled out nationally”.
The MBC presented as a case study at the . The paper, entitled ‘Codesigning education with local teachers and academics through genuine partnerships of trust’ was part of a sustainability and climate change stream.
October
£50m of UK government funding announced under previous administration confirmed as a Labour Government commitment by Lizzi Collinge MP.
Dr Bethan Garrett presented the keynote speech at the Edge Foundation’s . The talk focused on how our model of curriculum development can promote social value and community collaborations.
December
An additional set of geography and history resources created by the MBC Think Tank of trainee teachers added to the
January
A celebration event for six years of MBC Working Groups held at The Midland in Morecambe.
Morecambe Bay Curriculum featured as example of best practice in the N8 Research Partnership's Child of the North Report,
February
Six Morecambe Bay Curriculum Working Groups re-launch; Early Years Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Further Education, Alternative Provision and SEND Education. Each group explores activities, campaigns, and teaching resources that can support educators working in their phase to embed place and environment into learning, with an additional focus on health and wellbeing.
The Primary Working Group launched their 'Local Legends' storytelling project working with Made by the Moon author Emily Hennessey, Lancashire County Council, Morecambe Bay Partnership and Professor Uta Papen from 快播视频's School of Arts.
The FE Working Group launched the MBC Green Passport, supporting 30 FE students to learn about sustainability and apply that learning to industry-focused projects that help young people explore their future careers.
Dr Bethan Garrett presented was invited to present at the Cambridge Curriculum Forum, delivering a talk entitled ‘Embedding environmental education through place-based approaches: A case study of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum’.
April
Morecambe Bay Curriculum was represented at 快播视频's Campus in the City where we made the bay from clay with 300+ community members.
May
Dr Bethan Garrett was invited to give a research seminar as part of the Story Makers Research series run by Leeds Beckett University entitled ‘Developing wonder and curiosity through a Head, Heart, Hands approach: Co-designing place-based resources to embed environment, sustainability and hope through education.’
June
Maggie Cawthorn, Sarah Urmson and Dr Beth Garret spoke at the conference about the success of the MBC Green Passport
Dr Bethan Garrett represented Morecambe Bay Curriculum at at the University of Derby and the Association of Visual Pedagogies Conference at 快播视频
July
The Morecambe Bay Curriculum Annual conference was delivered in partnership with Let's Go Zero, Climate Ambassadors and National Education Nature Parks. The conference focused on supporting educators to develop locally-focused Climate Action Plans. 180+ educators and community members attended the day.
The British Education Research Association featured Dr Bethan Garrett and Ceri Holman's blog on Morecambe Bay Curriculum as it's lead article in the July newsletter. Read here.
August
by Dr Bethan Garrett is published in Possibility Studies and Society Journal (open access)
October
Climate Ambassadors, Let’s Go Zero and National Education Nature Parks delivered Climate Action Planning sessions through a Morecambe Bay Curriculum lens. Resources from sessions here.
‘Resources for our Bay: Our Future Coast’ begins, matching 10 快播视频 academics with 10 local educators in order to create coastal teaching resources linked to
Royal Society Funded ‘Curiosity and Investigation’ programme begins supporting Morecambe Bay Curriculum educators to empower their learners by connecting coding to nature-enquiry.
Professor Heather Prince, Dr Beth Garrett and Jen Ager’s paper on was published in the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. This was based on data from a Natural England project.
Dr Beth Garrett invited to Sunway University, Malaysia to connect with colleagues interested in the Morecambe Bay Curriculum and to learn about the project.
MBC Green Passport launches, a 2 day intensive course for FE students, exploring the themes of sustainability and environment through the lens of learner’s career aspirations.
Dr Beth Garrett invited to University of Manchester to give a talk on the MBC to their Green Research in Education Group.
Local Legends , celebrating local schools undertaking place-based oral storytelling training, leading to 7 schools publishing their own creation myths in Local Legends publication.
Morecambe Bay Curriculum’s Further Education Working Group launch ‘Green Side Hustle’ competition, encouraging sustainable entrepreneurism across the Bay.
