Environmental education and Business Studies at Anglian Water

When you think of Anglian Water you might think of an impending water bill, but perhaps its education programme should come to mind. Run from dedicated education centres and Learning Outside the Classroom accredited, Anglian Water’s education programme offers a series of interactive sessions related to the National Curriculum for Year 2 through to A-Level. 

Anglian Water’s two purpose built education centres in Leighton Linslade, Bedfordshire and Chelmsford, Essex have been designed to help bring the topic of water to life.

Students discover the sights, sounds and smells of a water recycling centre through a site tour, before getting involved in a range of interactive sessions in the sites’ classroom, looking at topics including water efficiency, pollution, climate change and sustainability.  

The centre also provides both pre and post visit resources, which are available to download from the website.

Last year Chelmsford education centre manager, Ellie Henderson, was awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Advocate Award for her work in supporting learning opportunities outside the classroom in Essex.

Key Stage 1 and 2 sessions

The Anglian Water region receives around an average of 600ml of rain a year, which is approximately the same rainfall as Jerusalem. Students are taught the importance of using water sensibly and how this is key for the future.

Anglian Water provides water efficiency sessions, alongside a water efficiency toolkit, which contains information for school leaders on how to save water, as well as a chance to involve students when they get back to school by carrying out a water audit.

The session help pupils better understand their responsibilities to the environment.

Key Stage 3 and 4 sessions

Anglian Water also provides educational visits for Key Stage 3 and 4 students.

Its Liquid Assets session provides an opportunity for students to gain an insight into the workings of a water company. Pupils will make decisions about some of the complex issues faced by Anglian Water and will then create their own business plan.

This task provides a platform for discussion as well as providing links to the Business Studies, English and Geography curriculums, and also gets students to consider their social responsibility.

Anglian Water’s new Climate Change session will aid students in understanding the issues of climate change in a local setting. Specifically it will help in the delivery of modules in the Geography curriculum.

All education sessions are free of charge. Anglian Water also runs an education outreach programme in schools.

The company also has a website called Captain Splosh, which students, specifically Primary school aged, can use to learn about the water cycle.

For more information visit www.anglianwater.co.uk/community/education.