Our work with schools

We work with schools across the borough to raise awareness of air pollution and improve air quality. Find out about our Clean Air School Accreditation (CASA) and the free support we offer.

You can also read about previous air quality projects with schools including air quality monitoring and school travel planning.

Clean Air School Accreditation

The Air Quality team offers a Clean Air Schools Accreditation scheme to all schools in the borough. It is designed to help raise awareness of air pollution among pupils, parents and carers, and the wider community. Accreditation demonstrates a strong commitment to improving air quality both within the school environment and in the surrounding area.

Schools complete air quality and active travel activities throughout the year to achieve Clean Air School accreditation at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

Activities include:

• Running anti-idling campaigns
• Promoting walking and cycling
• Carrying out air quality monitoring
• Adding green infrastructure

Schools can work towards these awards at a pace that suits them.

Clean Air School Accreditation tracker

School	Date awarded	CASA level
Teddington School	10 June 2026	Gold

Activity list

For information on how to achieve accreditation and the terms and conditions, see the Clean Air School accreditation activity list.

Our Air Quality Team is available to support schools in achieving accreditation and can provide:

• Free air quality assessments
• Air pollution workshops
• Idling action events

For more information, contact pollution@merton.gov.uk.

Air quality assessments

We carry out free on-site air quality assessments to help schools understand and improve air quality on their grounds. Primary schools in areas with higher pollution or with older buildings are currently being prioritised, but any school can request an assessment.

The assessment includes:

• Internal review (with the bursar, caretaker or relevant staff): We take air quality readings in classrooms and assess the school's layout, heating, kitchen, ventilation, and school policies.
• Observation of drop-off or pick-up: We observe traffic-related activity, with input from the school on day-to-day issues.
• Feedback session: A discussion with key staff (for example, headteacher, business manager, eco lead) to understand any air quality concerns or challenges. Approximately 40 minutes.

Following the visit, we provide a report summarising the current air quality around the school and offering tailored recommendations for improvement. These may include:

• Adding green infrastructure
• Encouraging active travel
• Adjusting ventilation routines
• Reducing deliveries
• Running anti-idling activities

See more details about school air quality assessments.

An air quality assessment carried out in the last five years is required for the gold level CASA.

To find out more or to book a free assessment, contact pollution@merton.gov.uk.

Air pollution workshops

We offer free air pollution workshops to schools, tailored to KS2 or KS3.

The workshop includes a 45-minute presentation covering key topics such as:

• Types of pollutants
• The importance of clean air
• Ways to reduce pollution and exposure
• The issue of vehicle idling

Students are encouraged to engage, ask questions and join in discussions throughout. 

After the presentation, students take part in a 45-minute creative activity, such as designing a poster, writing a poem, or a short story, to reflect on what they have learned. This can be done immediately after the session or at a later time.

Sessions work best with groups of around 30 students to allow for meaningful interaction. We are happy to run multiple sessions back-to-back if several classes would like to take part. The workshop is typically delivered to KS2 and KS3 classes but can be adapted for KS1 if needed

To find out more or to book a workshop, contact pollution@merton.gov.uk.

Additionally, schools can use an online video of the Idling Action London team’s school workshop which was created for Key Stages 2 and 3 students but is suitable for all ages. This introduces air pollution as a public health problem and suggests ways to make the air we breathe cleaner and safer. Watch the video.

Idling action events

If your school would like to participate in an idling action event, our Air Quality Team can visit to engage with drivers who leave their engines running around the school site. This helps reduce localised air pollution caused by idling vehicles.

At previous events, students have supported officers by speaking to parents and carers during pick-up times, distributing no-idling leaflets and encouraging drivers to switch off their engines.

See more information about engine idling and how we are working to tackle it.

If you would like to take part in an event or would like more information, contact pollution@merton.gov.uk.

Active travel

How children travel to school is important both for their health and wellbeing and because it can affect local air pollution levels.

Research carried out by the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London found that children were generally exposed to higher levels of air pollution when travelling to and from school, particularly during the morning rush hour, compared to when they were at school. You can read more on the Breathe London website.

Our own monitoring has confirmed that pollution levels are highest during the morning rush hour. This means that walking, cycling or scooting to school (known collectively as active travel), and using quieter side roads, can make an immediate difference to personal exposure.

Active travel produces no emissions and helps reduce congestion and background air pollution around schools. Walking, cycling and scooting also support children's fitness and wellbeing. Active travel activities count towards Clean Air School accreditation.

Cycling

Find out about school cycling schemes and cycling in Richmond.

You can also get information about cycling in London, or plan a route using the Cycling UK journey planner.

Walking

Plan a lower-pollution route to school using the Clean Air Route Finder.

Public transport

For journeys that are too long for active travel, public transport is a better option than driving. The Mayor of London's Transport Strategy encourages the use of public transport over private cars.

Other initiatives

Our School Travel Planner works with schools to develop and regularly update a School Travel Plan through the TfL Travel for Life programme (formerly STARS). The programme provides accreditation at Bronze, Silver and Gold level for schools that promote sustainable travel, and offers resources and activities for schools and families. 

Further details of our school travel initiatives and projects can be found on our school travel planning pages. To contact the School Travel Planner, email stp@richmond.gov.uk.

School Streets

A School Street is where a road near a school temporarily closes to motor traffic during drop-off and pick-up times, creating a pedestrian and cycle-only zone. Closing roads to traffic outside schools at busy times helps reduce congestion and air pollution, and makes it safer for children to get to and from school.

There are currently 21 School Streets in operation across the borough, serving 30 schools, nurseries and children's centres, with a further four schemes on trial. Each scheme is trialled before being reviewed, and if successful, a public consultation is held on making it permanent.

Find out more about School Streets in the borough, including current locations, operating hours, restrictions and enforcement.

If your school is interested in a School Street, email schoolstreets@richmond.gov.uk.

Past projects and monitoring

We have carried out several air quality projects and programmes with schools across the borough. These included the Cleaner Air 4 Schools engagement projects, the Mayor of London's school air quality audits, and a three-year programme of NO2 and particulate matter monitoring at all state schools.

For full details and monitoring results, see previous school air quality projects.