The Wildest GCSE Yet | Natural History GCSE, Young People & Learning Outside | Ruth Carter

What if one of your GCSEs meant actually going outside?

In this back-to-school episode of Different by Nature, I’m joined by Ruth Carter from Cambridge OCR to talk about the proposed Natural History GCSE — and why it could change the way young people learn about the world around them.

We talk about why nature often seems to disappear from education once children reach secondary school, whether young people are really as disconnected from nature as we think, and why learning about wildlife doesn’t need to mean travelling to the countryside.

The proposed GCSE includes at least 20 hours of fieldwork, with students encouraged to investigate the nature on their own doorstep — whether that’s trees, moths, bats, lichen on a wall or wildlife living in the middle of a city.

Ruth also shares the story behind the GCSE, the importance of young people having a voice in shaping it, and why the subject is already inspiring some people to consider going into — or even returning to — teaching.

We also ask a bigger question: if the next generation is going to care for the natural world, shouldn’t understanding it be part of their education?

The Natural History GCSE public consultation is currently open and closes on 4 September 2026.

https://consult.education.gov.uk/gcse-and-a-level-policy-team/gcse-natural-history-proposed-subject-content/consultation/subpage.2024-02-29.8700504549/

Different by Nature — uncovering the interesting and unusual stories hidden in the outdoor spaces around us.

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