4 school children looking at the camera wearing hi-vis jackets and gloves on. The girl on the far left is holding a litter picker and the boy that is centre right is holding a clipboard. They are on a beach

Beach cleans for schools and groups

Beach cleaning empowers children to do their bit for nature. By learning how their actions impact on our oceans we hope the next generation will be inspired to take up the fight against marine litter.

    Take your learning outside

    Taking part in a beach clean and survey is a great opportunity to connect with the ocean and learn about our environment. Time spent at the coast is great for health and wellbeing too, and the data you collect, by being scientists for the day, is vital in our fight for healthy seas. Marine litter is a problem that we can all play a part in solving, and what better way to start than with a day at the beach?

    69

    %

    of cleans in 2025 recorded plastic bottles

    80

    %

    of litter on our beaches has made it there from land

    How to get involved

    Please note, young people remain the responsibility of their class teacher or group leader at all times.

     

    A woman with her back to the camera speaking to a group of beach cleaners all huddled in front of her on the beach. The woman is wearing a Marine Conservation Society vest.

    Looking for a perfect time to get started?

    Why not choose the Great British Beach Clean, our yearly flagship event held on the third week in September around the UK.

    Find out more

    On the day

    Be sure to arrive in good time as there will be an important safety briefing given by the organiser. Young people should be encouraged to listen carefully and adult leaders should reiterate key points as necessary. Identify the survey area and make it clear to your group that they must not leave this area without permission. Please also reiterate the importance of surveying each piece of litter as the data is vital to helping clean up our oceans.

    Groups should work their way across the survey area collecting every man-made litter item that it is safe to pick up. Each item should be recorded on the survey form. The aim is to remove every bit of litter over the 100m stretch of beach. This will then be collected and weighed. Adults should work with groups to help them identify and survey litter accurately. Survey forms and equipment should be handed in at the end.

    A group of children are using litterpickers to put rubbish into a blue refuse bag. Only the children's legs and feet can be seen.

    Children litter picking during Great British Beach Clean  |  Image credit: Kate Whitton

    Other ways to engage your students

    A white lighthouse standing on a rugged, grassy headland extending into the blue sea under a partly cloudy sky. The lighthouse is Trevose Head Lighthouse in Cornwall.

    Primary learning

    Teach your primary pupils about the ocean with resources linked to UK curricular and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
    Sue Burton stands next to a schoolchild in a classroom. She is showing them a vial of water. On the table in front of them are beakers of water and water quality checking equipment

    Book a workshop

    Our workshops are a great opportunity for young people to learn more about the UK's amazing seas and how to look after them
    The back of 2 primary school girls' heads looking at a laptop screen on a table. The laptop screen shows a cartoon sea captain standing iinside a classroom.

    Fundraise at your school or group

    Your school or group could help turn the tide on our ocean, and have fun doing it!