The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) welcomes the Natural History GCSE proposed subject content as a qualification that is uniquely placed to foster young people’s engagement with an appreciation of the natural world.

In particular, we support that the subject is designed to ‘complement study of biology and geography GCSEs’. However, we suggest this could be broadened to ‘science’ rather than simply ‘biology’, as, for example, some students will be taking double award science.

In association with this, we also support that ‘while climate change is not the primary focus of the qualification, students will be able to build on learning in other subjects and apply this knowledge to the study of the natural world, including how species respond to changing environmental conditions.’

Although the draft revised science and geography subject contents are not expected to be published within the consultation period of this GCSE, we anticipate that climate change education will be strengthened in both subject areas. Therefore, it is important that that Natural History GCSE builds on, rather than duplicates, learning in those subjects.

To this end, we recommend that the Natural History GCSE subject content should specifically develop systematic understanding of the interactions between weather, climate and climate change and the natural world, through an understanding of:

• How climate determines biomes.
• The interaction of extreme weather (including extremes of rainfall and temperature) and weather-related hazards (such as floods, droughts and fires) with habitats and species.
• The impact of current and projected climate change as well as climate mitigation solutions with habitats and species and how negative impacts can be reduced or avoided.
• The role of the natural world in the climate system, including the role of nature-based solutions (adaptation and mitigation) to climate change.

It is also important to clearly delineate the natural processes that controlled the interrelationship between weather, climate and climate change and the natural world before the Anthropocene, and the more recent human ones.

We support the inclusion of fieldwork and observation in the proposed content and recommend that this includes simple weather observations or measurements.

We support the broad range of data skills included but recommend that wider skills such as critical evaluation are also included.

We encourage our members, partners and other supporters to echo our points above in their own responses to the proposed new GCSE subject content. As with all such consultations, the volume of responses matters.

The public consultation closes on 4th September.

The proposed subject content can be viewed, and responses submitted, using the link below

Submit Your Response