Schoolchildren lead the way as Birmingham marks Clean Air Day

Hundreds of Birmingham schoolchildren have been learning how everyday choices can improve air quality, as the city marked Clean Air Day on 18 June.

Two days earlier, on 16 June, 100 children from 19 primary schools attended a Clean Air Day and Modeshift STARS celebration at the Council House. Modeshift STARS is a national scheme that recognises schools for encouraging walking, cycling and other sustainable ways of getting to school.

Learning through play and theatre

At the event, pupils took part in activities with partners including Mums for Lungs, Living Streets and the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, exploring the links between clean air, health, road safety and active travel.

Thousands more children saw "Abbie Ayre and the Shed of Science", a theatre-in-education production touring twenty primary schools during June. Through science, storytelling and audience participation, it teaches children about the causes of air pollution, how it affects health, and what they can do, such as walking, cycling or scooting to school.

Young health champions

Older students are taking part in Birmingham's Asthma and Air Quality Youth Health Champion programme, run with NHS colleagues and Mums for Lungs. It brings secondary school pupils together with health professionals and air quality experts to design campaigns encouraging their peers to change their habits.

"By the end of the workshop, we'd learned how asthma develops, how pollution affects the lungs, why Birmingham's air quality is such a big issue, and what small changes can make a difference. But the biggest takeaway was understanding how powerful young voices can be," said Year 9 student Ibrahim.

Monitors in schools

Since February 2025, more than 230 free outdoor air quality monitors have been installed at Birmingham schools, giving pupils, staff and families real-time data on the air around them. The monitors support anti-idling campaigns, which ask drivers not to leave engines running outside school gates, and active travel programmes.

"Every child deserves to learn in a healthy environment and travel to school safely," said Councillor Rob Grant, Cabinet Member for Transport.

He said children and young people were "not simply learning about these issues; they are helping to lead change in their schools, families and communities".

Why it matters

Air pollution is linked to asthma and other lung conditions, and children are especially vulnerable because their lungs are still developing. Birmingham introduced a Clean Air Zone in the city centre in 2021, charging the most polluting vehicles, as part of wider efforts to bring air quality within legal limits.

The council also highlighted its shortlisting for the BREEAM Sustainable City Award, recognising its work on low-carbon buildings.