The Morecambe Bay Curriculum is an educator-led movement and a cross-sector partnership supported by Lancaster University, Lancaster 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.
Environment and Place
Embedded throughout everything we do is our focus on Place, Sustainability and Environment: improving ecosystems of the Bay and increasing connection to nature.
Mental and Physical Health
We want longer, healthier and more nature-connected lives for everyone around the Bay.
Green Work and Local Economy
In the future, every job will be a green job. We are committed to helping young people to develop the green skills, knowledge and values they need to succeed. We are working towards sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the region.
People and Community
Strengthening pride in place and linking our movement with the broader community around the Bay, through partnership and collaboration.
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.
Head, Heart and Hands
We will embed knowledge, values and skills through a flexible approach to pedagogy which enables learners to develop and apply ideas in practical contexts.
Strength in the Collective
We recognise our ambitions can only be achieved by involving and working alongside a variety of partners and perspectives to strengthen and grow our work.
Learning from Each Other
We value the power of peer learning amongst educators, young people, employers and anchor organisations around the Bay to spread ideas, innovation and good practice.
Celebrating Place
We use a strength-based and bottom-up approach that recognises and values the unique assets of the people and places of Morecambe Bay; inviting ideas and inspiration from across the Morecambe Bay Curriculum membership.
Our Impact
Key outcomes we have seen so far:
33 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.
Two annual conferences so far, with 200 educators gathering for the MBC’s 2024 Conference; enabling knowledge exchange, network development and training.
6 working groups, with a membership of over 75 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, with a focus on 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 featured on ITV Regional News.
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, Lancaster University, Lancaster 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.
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January
Lancaster University hosts the Eden Project team and organises a trip to Morecambe. Plans to create an Eden Project Morecambe begin.
November
Principal of Lancaster & Morecambe College visits Eden Project Cornwall to discuss partnership opportunities; leading to the inception of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum.
Spring
As part of Lancaster University'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 Lancaster & Morecambe College and the Head of Eden Project Learning meet with key local stakeholders, including the Lancaster 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, Lancaster and Morecambe Secondary Schools Working Group, Further Education Working Group, Children in Care Working Group and Higher Education Working Group.
Winter Lancaster & 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
Lancaster University and Eden Project jointly appoint Eden Project North Chair of Education and Engagement, based in Lancaster University’s Department of Educational Research, 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 statementcreated and agreed by the Early Years, Primary and Special School Working Group.
‘Noticing’ pilot project (Biodiversity Logbooks) developed by Computing and Design colleagues at Lancaster University in Ryelands Primary and Nursery School then rolled out to other local primary schools, seeking to reduce ‘plant blindness’ amongst primary children.
Made by the Moon storytelling project, originally commissioned by Morecambe Bay Partnership, starts in schools (EY, Pri & 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 & 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 & Special Schools Working Group).
Public talk hosted by Lancaster University’s Vice-Chancellor on the unique place-based curriculum focused on Morecambe Bay, featuring Professor Robert Winston.
March
Lancaster University appoints an MBC team of three to support partners and educators to grow this special movement.
June The Association of Colleges awards Lancaster & 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, Where the Wildings Are! 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 Lancaster District Pupil Parliament at Lancaster 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 Place-Based Best Practice resources at University of Cumbria’s Geography Leaders’ conference.
January
Eden Project Morecambe awarded £50m from the UK Government.
March 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 Lancaster University students work alongside four primary schools and one nursery to research their local surroundings. This research was later presented by the children at Lancaster 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 Lancaster & Morecambe College on food production in a community space.
July
First annual MBC Conference takes place at Lancaster University, 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 Lancaster University 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 Lancaster University appoints new role of Lecturer in the Morecambe Bay Curriculum.
Following November’s decisions, teachers are matched with academic partners from Lancaster University and explore how place-based and environmental research can be featured in the National Curriculum. The first workshop at Lancaster 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 ‘Civic Partners in Net Zero’ 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 Steering Group and Partnership Board meet at Lancaster University to discuss priorities for a five-year strategy.
June
The MBC is shared as a case study of good practice as part of FED’s Climate Change and Sustainability toolkit.
July
Second annual MBC Conference held at Lancaster University. 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.
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 BERA Conference 2024. 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 Sustainable Education Summit on Morecambe Bay Curriculum. 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 University of Cumbria web shelf.
January
A celebration event for six years of MBC Working Groups held at The Midland in Morecambe.
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.
