Schools and Young People - Eye on Calderdale

Riverside Junior school children learning by playing with a flood tank model.

We regularly engage with schools across Calderdale to teach the importance of staying safe in a flood event, the Flood Alleviation Schemes we are delivering locally and the variety of careers available in the industry. Using a flood model, provided by the Environment Agency Flood Resilience Team, we can showcase the importance of creating adequate defences to protect communities from the power of water. Students can learn about the various methods used such as natural flood management or through hard engineering.

Child learning about flooding in Calderdale

Free teaching resources

Slow The Flow offers a range of free teaching resources for both primary and secondary schools. These resources, written by teachers and designed to fit within the KS2 and KS3 curriculum, aim to increase awareness of flooding, flood-related issues, and the use of Natural Flood Management as a mitigation strategy.

Thanks to support from the Community Foundation for Calderdale, these resources are available at no cost to schools in Calderdale and across the UK.

A bug hotel made from various natural materials such as wooden logs, twigs, pine cones, and dried leaves. The structure is divided into multiple compartments, each filled with different materials to attract a variety of insects. The bug hotel is placed in a garden setting, surrounded by greenery and flowers, providing a safe habitat for insects like bees, ladybirds, and beetles.

Woodland and bog in a box assemblies

The National Trust, in collaboration with Yorkshire Water Rangers, has developed and delivered a comprehensive school package aimed at educating children about environmental conservation and natural flood management. This initiative includes two main assemblies and hands-on activities:

Woodland assembly: A 30-minute presentation on tree planting, highlighting the importance of trees, their role in reducing floods, the challenges they face, and how children can contribute to the project and combat climate change. This assembly was followed by tree planting sessions at local Landscapes for Water sites. Since September 2024, this assembly has reached over 6 schools and approximately 700 people.

Bog in a box assembly: Focuses on the importance of maintaining wet and healthy moorlands to prevent fires and flooding. Introduces Sphagnum Moss and its benefits, and demonstrates the use of stones, logs, and moss to create leaky dams that slow water flow. The assembly includes a practical demonstration of leaky dams.