Overview of the Nature Premium SBF Trial May 2023

Overview of the Nature Premium
Social Bridging Finance Trial 2023.
Sara A Collins BSc, DIC, PhD, MBA, APIOL, FRSA
Nature Premium campaign co-founder and Lead
Tel: 07581 484892
saracollins@naturepremium.org
May 2023
1

1 in 8 young people
have never seen a cow
in real life!
The Nature Premium campaign is
calling for the government to
guarantee regular and ongoing time in
nature for ALL children and young
people with additional funding for
2
those that need it most.

The Nature Premium is a proposal to
guarantee regular and ongoing time in
nature for ALL children and young people
with additional funding for those that need
it most.
Why is it important for children and young
people to connect with nature?
● Government research shows that 87% of
children have stated that being in nature
makes them ‘very happy’.
● Connecting with nature improves mental
and physical health and educational,
emotional and personal development. For
example, a close relationship with nature
is 4 times more important than purchasing
power for feeling your life is worthwhile.
● There are further benefits to local
communities, the UK economy, and the
environment. A recent Natural England
report, forecast shows Social Return on
Investment (SROI) for schools that have
embedded learning outside the classroom
in natural environments as a whole school
approach is £4.32 for every £1 invested.
Why do early years & schools need funding
to guarantee regular time in nature for all?
● All children need to consciously ‘grow up
greener’. It is good for children and our
communities. Their engagement and
understanding of the natural world will
inspire them to respect and protect their
school, local community, and planet earth.
● Unless personally motivated, many
teachers, just like the general public, have
little knowledge or experience of the
benefits of nature connection. Unlike
teaching PE, teachers are less likely to
have personal reference points or
experiences to prime their teaching about
or in nature.
● Provision of funding amplifies the
message that teaching about, in, with, as,
for and from nature is a priority.
● Financial capacity would enable schools
to provide CPD during the working day
rather than expecting staff to volunteer to
work more evenings or weekends.
● The Nature Premium would provide
financial capacity to deliver regular and
ongoing nature experiences when school
finances are already over-stretched.
● A Nature Premium would ensure that All
children benefit from regular nature
experiences, not just the lucky ones.
How will you persuade the Government to
fund the Nature Premium?
We know that the DfE accepts that children’s
mental wellbeing is supported by improved
nature-connection. The Nature Premium
would be regarded as innovative so, at a time
of economic crisis, it’s important that we help
support the DfE introduce this evidence
informed education policy that is likely to cost
£1 billion annually.
We propose running a Social Bridging
Finance Trial (SBF) of the Nature Premium.
SBF is a model designed to change policy at
scale. In this instance the DfE, funders and
Nature Premium campaign would work
together to agree Key Outcomes for the trial.
The funders would fund the trial, the Nature
Premium would implement the work, and the
DfE would agree to sustainably fund a Nature
Premium, using a coalition of blended funding,
but only when the Key Outcomes are
achieved. This provides a risk-free
mechanism for the DfE to explore a concept
that they already accept benefits children’s
mental wellbeing.
Assumptions
● Nature Premium funding goes directly
from the funder to the education settings.
● Each early years provider or school
agrees to Key Indicators & Key Outcomes.
● Each early years provider or school
interprets nature according to its location,
the experiences of its children, the
interests of the staff and their connection
with the community.
● Funding will be used following 5 Key
Indicators (training staff, using external
expertise, modifying grounds, buying kit,
work in the community).
● Staff will be supported by a Nature
Premium facilitator who will coordinate
with local conservation/farming/gardening
NGO’s and local government.
● Key Outcomes will be determined with
input from Natural England, The Royal
College of Psychiatry, funders, and the
Department for Education (DfE).
1

How much funding would each school
receive as the Nature Premium?
We propose that each Key Stage should
receive £5000 plus £100 for each child or
young person known to be eligible for free
school meals (FSM) and £25 for each child or
young person not eligible for free school meals
(non-FSM). This means that each school
would receive annual funding, dependent on
their size and cohort.
What would this funding buy?
Early year providers and schools are
autonomous, meaning that each education
setting will make unique decisions as to how
the Nature Premium should be used
considering the:
● Location - urban, rural, coastal, moorland,
wooded, farmland and more.
● The age of the children & young people.
● The life experiences of the children and
young people.
● The interest & experience of staff.
● Broad definition of nature as farming,
conservation work, gardening, urban
farms, Forest School, fishing,
permaculture, adventurous activities,
improving local biodiversity, beekeeping
and more. Schools/EY settings could
work with NGOs that supported their
interest in nature.
Ultimately the Nature Premium would change
the education culture by:
• Demonstrating that nature is a priority,
engage the wider education community to
include ALL C&YP developing and
embedding a growing Sustainable
Education culture. This will strengthen
communities to benefit the local education,
health, and economy.
• Acting as a catalyst between the
aspirations of a future Net Zero society
and the practicalities of creating a
knowledgeable and resilient future
workforce.
• Providing financial capacity to enable
schools to support staff and C&YP nature
connection.
How could the early year providers and
schools use the funding?
As with the Sports Premium, the Nature
Premium could be used for five Key
Indicators which should demonstrate
improvement in:
1. The engagement of all C&YP with regular
nature connection activities. The profile of
nature and sustainable living would be
raised across the school as a tool for
whole-school improvement.
2. Increased confidence, knowledge and
skills of all staff teaching about nature and
sustainable living.
3. Broader experience of nature offered to all
C&YP.
4. Increased participation in communitybased
nature activities.
These Key Indicators could be achieved by:
● Training all staff.
● Working with external experts and NGOs.
● Buying essential kit e.g. wet weather gear.
● Assessing and improving biodiversity in
the school grounds.
● Enabling the school estate to function
sustainably.
● Working in the community on Climate
Emergency, tree planting and biodiversity
projects.
2

How would the early year providers and
schools be chosen for the SBF trial?
The schools chosen would be based on
selection criteria such as those that have:
● Minimal experience of nature work.
● provide political benefits such as working
with a key MP or Academy.
● A high Deprivation Index, i.e., children
known to be eligible for free school meals.
● A mixture of rural and urban settings.
● ethnic community diversity.
● A similar geographic cluster and a
combination of relevant criteria.
How could all early year providers and
schools give children opportunities to
connect with nature?
We believe that with a cultural change to ‘think
nature first’ there are many opportunities using
the Five Pathways to Nature Connection
Model based around:
• Senses – watch out for wildlife, watch
birds overhead or insects on flowers.
• Emotion – Take a class outside to a
greenspace, sit and close your eyes, take
three deep breaths and listen for the
natural sounds around you.
• Compassion – put food out for the birds
and watch for them. Pick up litter in a
local green space.
• Meaning – expand your nature
knowledge, read a book, or watch a film.
• Beauty – Capture nature’s beauty, take a
photo or draw a picture.
How can children in the middle of cities
spend regular time in nature?
Regular doesn’t have to mean the same time
each week. Every setting would be able to
design their own nature-based calendar.
• Every day - for example, start each day
with bird song. Noticing leaves develop on
a tree in the school grounds through
spring, the appearance of blossom and
fruit in summer, harvest of fruit and leaf
colour change in autumn and leaf fall to
bare branches in winter.
• Every week – e.g., lessons within the
National Curriculum are already held
outside using nature as a teaching
resource, or Forest School sessions.
• Termly throughout the year – Local
nature walks, a walking & talking
assembly or celebration of blossom or
autumn leaf colours in the local surrounds.
• Every month - for example, a visit to the
local woods.
• Once a year - for example, a weeklong
school trip residential trip.
3

The SBF trial Theory of Change shows the
potential of whole school Nature Premium funding.
Whole School Cultural Change so that
children and families ‘grow up greener’.
Staff, children, and family caregivers see the benefit of nature connection
on mental wellbeing, learning & improved school environment.
Whole School participation in nature connection.
Academy Trust/ Governors/ SLT/ Teachers/ TAs/ Site Management/ Admin/
family, caregivers /children
Whole School on-going training.
Academy Trust/ Governors/ SLT/
Teachers/ TAs/ Site Management /Admin
SLT /Teachers
decide how to
interpret Nature
Nature
Premium
Facilitator
Steering Group
combined
experience
Local Council/
Landowners offer
support for Nature
Premium
Established
Schools best
practices
Children and family/ caregiver
engagement with education and
community projects
Local conservation NGO’s /National
programmes offer support
SLT /Teacher /Union support
of children reconnecting with
nature
NGO’s
expertise
Impact
Long term
Outcome
Medium term
Outcome
Short term
Outcome
Activities
Resources
4

Who works on the Nature Premium Campaign?
The Nature Premium Campaign was started
during Lockdown 1 2020 by like-minded
volunteers with a shared vision to reduce the
inequity of children’s access to nature. In
January 2023 we became a Specialist Sector
Group under the Institute for Outdoor
Learning umbrella. We are governed by a
Steering Group constitution and have signed
up to the IOL Code of Conduct. The Steering
Group is made up of the campaign cofounders
and education and conservation
supporters including the CEO of IOL. We
have chosen this structure:
● To maintain the power of Nature Premium
as an idea that anyone or any
organisation can support. It is not a
brand.
● To demonstrate governance and
accountability for our actions and the use
of funding on a larger scale.
As a Specialist Sector Group in IOL all funding
for the SBF trial and the campaign will be
controlled and managed by IOL.
What are the next steps?
We are now planning a three-year Nature
Premium Social Bridging Finance trial. This
will develop through four stages with the
expertise of Kenneth Ferguson who originally
led the development of the SBF model
(Appendix one shows the SBF framework with
key stages, service design, service delivery,
roles and roles and responsibilities with all
involved parties. The SBF contract has
already been developed and can be modified
for the Nature Premium SBF trial.
Stage One of the framework convenes an
initial meeting with all partners to discuss the
model and application requirements, including
the importance of the contract.
As you will see from Appendix one, the SBF
Framework establishes that all parties have a
good understanding of:
• Service Design: ensuring a good evidence
base for the intervention.
• Service Delivery: helping construct a
detailed delivery model and outline budget
with an estimated length for a
demonstration period.
• Defining Benefits: helping generate a
clear idea and description of what
outcomes can be achieved.
• Target: seeking an understanding of what
acceptable success criteria might be.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Assessment of
the data being collected and recorded to
enable an independent judgement to be
made as to whether the desired success
has been achieved.
• Sustainability: Assessment of whether the
intervention can be run for a sustained
period
An independent “auditor” will be appointed to
judge whether the success criteria have been
met and manage this process.
While the Nature Premium Steering Group can
propose how trial schools are selected and
possible Key Outcomes, the final decisions
will be made as part of the SBF framework.
This ensures that all parties have an input on
the trial design and agree the success criteria.
This is a key strength of the SBF model.
5

Campaign highlights so far include:
● Talking to so many people who
understand and support connecting
children with nature.
● Meeting Nick Gibb (Schools Minister),
who agreed that we had had a
constructive discussion about the Nature
Premium.
● Ben Goldsmith arranged a meeting with
Nadhim Zahawi (Secretary of State for
Education), who gave his blessing to work
with the Department for Education.
● Being supported by Prof. Sir Partha
Dasgupta, author of the Treasurycommissioned
report on The Economics
of Biodiversity – The Dasgupta Review.
● Regularly meeting officials from Natural
England to discuss our work.
● Meeting the Shadow Schools Minister
Stephen Morgan with Kenneth Ferguson,
who designed the Social Bridging Finance
model. We are continuing our
discussions.
● Support from over 50 organisations and
high-profile individuals across a range of
sectors
Please Contact us.
We hope you agree that the Nature Premium would transform a generation. We would be delighted
to meet and discuss how we might work together to deliver the Nature Premium and answer any
questions about the Social Bridging Finance trial.
Sara A Collins BSc, DIC, PhD, MBA, APIOL, FRSA
Nature Premium campaign co-founder and Lead
Tel: 07581 484892
saracollins@naturepremium.org
Please contact:
Supporters
" The Nature Premium campaign seeks…to improve children’s mental and physical health,
and to nurture the innate love of nature that all young people have within them. I think it's a
marvellous initiative, with the potential to both transform children’s lives and to lay the
foundations for a society that will care for our environment in the future”.
Professor Sir John Lawton CBE FRS, biologist
If I had one wish for humankind before I die, it would be that we all learn natural History and
go out in nature every day from the beginning of our education. This is why I support the
Nature Premium and believe, if enacted, it could mark a turning point in education.”
Tim Smit, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Eden Project
“I believe that the Nature Premium will deliver such a transformation to the benefit of our
children and their future development.”
Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta FRS FBA, author of The Economics of Biodiversity
“We’ve been urban for only a hair’s breadth of human evolution. Bringing nature into the
lives of our children as the Norwegians do, is one of the greatest and most fundamental gifts
any education can give.”
Isabella Tree, author
6

Appendix One
STAGE 1:
Social Bridging Finance Framework – Nature Premium
1. Work with Nature Premium to understand model and then generate and issue SBF Outline for use
with potential funding and public sector partner (2 days)
2. Convene an initial meeting with all partners to discuss the model and application requirements,
including the importance of the contract. (2 days)
3. Pause and Review
If proceeding:
STAGE 2:
• Work on the Intervention (1 day).
• Service Design: ensuring a good evidence base for the intervention.
• Service Delivery: helping construct a detailed delivery model and outline budget with an estimated
length for a demonstration period.
• Defining Benefits: helping generate a clear idea/description of what outcomes can be achieved.
• Target: seeking an understanding of what acceptable success criteria might be.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Assessment of the data being collected and recorded to enable an
independent judgement to be made as to whether the desired success has been achieved.
• Sustainability: Assessment of whether the intervention can be run for a sustained period?
• Roles and Responsibilities
Working with Nature Premium to achieve: (1 day)
• Clear description of / delivery manual for an evidence-based service which meets an expressed
need within an area / community and can be delivered at scale.
• Identify an experienced project manager to help run the project and co-ordinate meetings
between all relevant partners.
• Lead on the development of agreed success criteria and ensuring relevant data can be collected
and shared to enable progress towards these to be measured.
• Bring together all the information that is required to enable a grant funding to be applied for using
the SBF model.
• Lead on the development of a Terms of Reference for the Project Board and Operations Group as
required.
• Lead on the development of a risk register and communications plan
Working with Funder(s) of demonstration phase: (1 day per funder)
• If multiple funders are involved, identify a lead funder to be the main point of contact for others in
the partnership. It will be beneficial for Nature Premium to have agreed reporting and monitoring
arrangements that can be consistent across all funders.
• Ensuring they have a good understanding of the SBF model and be clear on when it is (and when
it is not) appropriate to use and ensure fidelity to the model as a partnership develops.
• Agree grant funding for the demonstration period and help obtain a grant offer letter that can be
attached to the contract with any grant conditions made clear.
• Offer support and guidance to partnerships as they develop including providing templates for
agreements etc if required.
• Assist in appointing an independent “auditor” to judge whether the success criteria have been met
and manage this process. Experience suggests they may also be needed to robustly test the
proposed success criteria before they are agreed as part of the contract.
• Ensure robust assessment, funding decisions and project management takes place to give the
intervention to the best chance of succeeding.
• Complete the SBF contract so that it is ready for signing and lead on ensuring that all signatories
are in place.
7

Stage 2 continuing… .
Working with the Public Sector sustainability partner(s) to ensure: (2 days per Public Sector Body)
• Clarity at the outset on whether the proposed intervention is of sufficient priority to consider
funding a successful service in the longer term and ensure all relevant public sector partners are
around the table.
• Clarity on any procurement issue.
• Clarity and commitment to the success criteria that are needed for continued funding.
• They have considered in detail the source of funding to enable the intervention to be continued in
the longer term.
• The contract can be signed by an appropriate signatory with delegated authority to sign on behalf
of the public body(ies) and if the decision needs to be taken through the appropriate authorisation
process including elected members and legal departments.
• Explore the drawing up of a data sharing agreement, if required, to ensure that the necessary
information is available to measure progress towards the success criteria.
STAGE 3:
STAGE 4:
Once the Contract has been signed restrict input to quarterly Programme Board meetings.
(4 days per year per project).
In final year:
• Work with “auditor” to seek agreement as to whether criteria had been met.
• Close down Programme Board.
• Gather learning.
• Generating end of project reports. (10 days).
8

#childrenneedtogrowupgreener
9