Pupils planning to participate in a second climate change march must prove they care about the environment, as one headteacher attempts to clamp down on those hoping to exploit the rally and play truant.

Oxford Spires Academy has ruled its schoolchildren will only be allowed to join protests in the city tomorrow if they answer four questions which outline their concerns about the environment and the impact of the strikes.

Headteacher Marianne Blake said the measures were introduced after some students took the opportunity to miss school and not attend the nationwide protests, despite indicating they would.

The Youth Strike 4 Climate in the UK follows action taken by 15,000 students last month calling on the Government to take more stringent action on climate change.

Its organisers are demanding the curriculum give more priority to environmental issues and for the government to declare a “state of climate emergency” to highlight the severity of the “ecological crisis”.