School and youth work - What are we doing?

View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg


The Vale’s schools and youth groups play an important role in Project Zero, regularly coordinating eco-projects and helping to shape sustainable ways of operating.

This page is designed to show you some examples of the school and youth work the Council is doing as part of Project Zero.


Coastal monitoring schools project

Developed by the Council’s Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre (WCMC) with the help of Barry Island Primary School, the Climate Change and Coasts Education Programme is in line with the new Welsh Curriculum 2022 and aims to provide primary school pupils with the skills needed to tackle climate change.

Upon sign up to the free education programme, schools are provided with lessons plans and resources, and are offered an optional introduction lesson from WCMC.

The project teaches the children about local case studies, including the coastal erosion at Llantwit Major beach.

Schools are also offered the opportunity to take part in a Climate Change podcast, where pupils can engage in a Q&A session with climate change professionals. They are also encouraged to make a link with an international school, with the aim of making pupils more aware of how climate change is impacting different parts of the world.



Cadoxton Walking Bus

The Walking Bus scheme was introduced at Cadoxton Primary School, after receiving funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund.

The scheme encourages children and parents to join together and walk to school, cutting their car emissions and opting for more sustainable Active Travel.

Pupils and parents can walk the whole route or choose to join from one of the three bus stops along the way. When the children arrive to school, they all enjoy a free breakfast together.

Since it started, feedback about the scheme has been super positive from the leaders, parents, and children. In addition to the children thoroughly enjoying the Walking Bus, parents have also commented that they are feeling the social and physical benefits of walking every day.



Youth Climate Conversation - a year on

In October 2023, the Vale of Glamorgan's Youth Council hosted a Climate Conversation event, at the Memo Arts Centre, Barry

The event brought young people from across the Vale together with decision makers to discuss their experiences of waste and recycling, and transport, their ambitions for the future, and how these could be achieved.

Based on the feedback captured at the event, the Council committed to undertaking a number of actions in 2024. One year later, the Council and Youth Service reported on the progress of these commitments.

The Vale of Glamorgan's Youth Council plays an important role in amplifying the voice of young people in the Vale and have provided valuable feedback on various projects including Project Zero.

The Climate Conversation event is just one of the ways that the group has fed into the Project Zero programme of work.



Sully Primary School planting

Our Active Travel and Engineering teams completed construction on an improved pavement and roadway outside of Sully Primary School this year.

This was developed in order to create a safer environment for both pedestrians and motorists, when children are leaving and entering the school.

As part of these new development, flower bed have been placed directly outside the school. Sully Primary School children have been hard at work planting new flowers and bushes with the help of our parks team, increasing the biodiversity of the surrounding area and getting students involved in caring for the environment around them

View this page in Welsh / Gweld y tudalen hwn yn Gymraeg


The Vale’s schools and youth groups play an important role in Project Zero, regularly coordinating eco-projects and helping to shape sustainable ways of operating.

This page is designed to show you some examples of the school and youth work the Council is doing as part of Project Zero.


Coastal monitoring schools project

Developed by the Council’s Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre (WCMC) with the help of Barry Island Primary School, the Climate Change and Coasts Education Programme is in line with the new Welsh Curriculum 2022 and aims to provide primary school pupils with the skills needed to tackle climate change.

Upon sign up to the free education programme, schools are provided with lessons plans and resources, and are offered an optional introduction lesson from WCMC.

The project teaches the children about local case studies, including the coastal erosion at Llantwit Major beach.

Schools are also offered the opportunity to take part in a Climate Change podcast, where pupils can engage in a Q&A session with climate change professionals. They are also encouraged to make a link with an international school, with the aim of making pupils more aware of how climate change is impacting different parts of the world.



Cadoxton Walking Bus

The Walking Bus scheme was introduced at Cadoxton Primary School, after receiving funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund.

The scheme encourages children and parents to join together and walk to school, cutting their car emissions and opting for more sustainable Active Travel.

Pupils and parents can walk the whole route or choose to join from one of the three bus stops along the way. When the children arrive to school, they all enjoy a free breakfast together.

Since it started, feedback about the scheme has been super positive from the leaders, parents, and children. In addition to the children thoroughly enjoying the Walking Bus, parents have also commented that they are feeling the social and physical benefits of walking every day.



Youth Climate Conversation - a year on

In October 2023, the Vale of Glamorgan's Youth Council hosted a Climate Conversation event, at the Memo Arts Centre, Barry

The event brought young people from across the Vale together with decision makers to discuss their experiences of waste and recycling, and transport, their ambitions for the future, and how these could be achieved.

Based on the feedback captured at the event, the Council committed to undertaking a number of actions in 2024. One year later, the Council and Youth Service reported on the progress of these commitments.

The Vale of Glamorgan's Youth Council plays an important role in amplifying the voice of young people in the Vale and have provided valuable feedback on various projects including Project Zero.

The Climate Conversation event is just one of the ways that the group has fed into the Project Zero programme of work.



Sully Primary School planting

Our Active Travel and Engineering teams completed construction on an improved pavement and roadway outside of Sully Primary School this year.

This was developed in order to create a safer environment for both pedestrians and motorists, when children are leaving and entering the school.

As part of these new development, flower bed have been placed directly outside the school. Sully Primary School children have been hard at work planting new flowers and bushes with the help of our parks team, increasing the biodiversity of the surrounding area and getting students involved in caring for the environment around them