Southampton Schools

Southampton City Council is actively working to reduce the impact of air pollution around schools by introducing green infrastructure. As part of this, Meristem Design are delivering bespoke green schemes, including installing green screens and living walls. These measures aim to create healthier and more engaging environments for students while enhancing local biodiversity and improving air quality. This project is part of the council’s wider Clean Air initiative, which has been running for nearly two years, prioritising schools most affected by pollution.

The initiative aims to improve air quality in and around schools, raise awareness of air pollution and create greener, healthier environments for pupils and staff. The project seeks to empower schools to take proactive steps in reducing pollution through engaging and educational opportunities, promoting the importance of our environment.

The Clean Air for School initiative involves the installation of green ivy screens and living walls at seven schools across Southampton, including the provision of air-purifying and edible herb planting to enhance student engagement. Schools include:

• St Anne’s School
• Mount Pleasant Junior School
• Hollybrook Junior School
• Bevois Town Primary School
• Freemantle C of E Academy
• St Mary’s Church England Primary School
• St John’s Primary and Nursery School

Through the Clean Air grant, schools have been empowered to implement green infrastructure that reduces the impact of poor air quality. This includes living walls, green screens and plant trellis systems to provide natural air filtration and improved aesthetics on the school grounds. As part of this project we also included edible planting to create engaging and educational spaces for pupils where they can learn through touch and smell. As part of the initiative, air quality monitoring devices and diffusion tubes were also installed to assess pollution levels before and after the installations. This data will help determine the effectiveness of the green infrastructure in reducing exposure to harmful pollutants.

This project has transformed school environments across Southampton, improving the overall quality of the urban spaces. Green screens and living walls serve as effective air filters, trapping dust and pollutants while also creating a more inviting and biodiverse environment. The initiative also supports students’ learning personal development, linking with existing environmental education programmes such as Eco Schools and Modeshift.

The success of the Clean Air Project in Southampton schools demonstrates the transformative power of green infrastructure and education in tackling air pollution. Meristem Design is proud to have played a key role in this initiative and looks forward to supporting more schools and communities in creating healthier, greener spaces.