Clean Air Living Matters: Exploring Reading with Schools

Reading Borough Council, in collaboration with Design Nature, Stantec and the University of Reading, are excited to offer schools across Reading the opportunity to participate in the CALM – Exploring Reading Air Quality programme.

Your guide to air quality education.

Aims of the wider programme

The programme will be running until the end of March 2025 with the main objectives to:

  • Increase knowledge around air quality, its causes, impacts and solutions, with pupils and staff in schools
  • Increase awareness of air quality in the wider community and surrounding schools
  • Encourage behavioural change in activities that impact on poor air quality, surrounding schools, by enabling pupils, parents and the wider community to take action
  • Ideal for after or pre-school activities and Eco Clubs
  • Link with other Reading Borough Council initiatives and school engagement, such as Transport and Travel and wider climate strategy

Join David, an 11-year-old school pupil and Air Quality Explorer, as he embarks on a journey to learn all about air quality in his hometown of Reading, Berkshire. With help from his friends – Marta the Scientist, Ross the Air Quality Officer, and Emma the Air Quality Consultant – David discovers what makes our air cleaner and how we can all make a difference.

CALM Air Quality explorers in action: school case studies

Take a look at the Reading School and Geoffrey Field Junior case studies and find out more about the excellent CALM Air Quality sessions already delivered.

Mark Mason working with year 9 students at Reading School.
Mark Mason working with year 9 students at Reading School.
CALM preparing to present to the full school assembly at Geoffrey Field Junior School.
CALM preparing to present to the full school assembly at Geoffrey Field Junior School.

Civitas Academy case study (opens in new window)

Taken from back of school hall shows the backs of children seated on the floor> The children are watching a presentation - on the screen are the words 'Who would like to become an Air Quality Explorer?'
Assembly given to about 240 Key Stage 2 pupils at Civitas Academy.

 

Clean Air Day Case Study (opens in new window)

Indoor air quality experiments.

Downloadable teachers’ resources

Download an overview to find out how your school could run an interactive assembly or classroom presentation delivered by Air Quality Explorers.

Fun downloads for Air Quality Explorers

Fun and interactive downloads to help Air Quality Explorers get curious and find out more about, air quality (AQ), air pollution and the air that we breathe.

Competition winner

Find out more about air quality and details of the air quality of Reading.

Air quality sensors – user instructions

As a signed up CALM Air Quality Explorer School you get access to a range of indoor and outdoor air quality sensors. Find out more about the sensors, how to set up and use them:

Air Gradient One (opens in new window)
Air Gradient Open Air (opens in new window)
ATMO Tube Pro instructions (opens in new window)

If you need more information on CALM please email Ross Jarvis, Principle Air Quality Project Officer – ross.jarvis@reading.gov.uk.

Blue background with logos of various participating partners: Reading Borough Council, Design Nature, Stantec, University of Reading and Defra.
Last updated on 18/11/2024