DEPARTMENT FOR
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0061) issued by
The Government News Network on 27 March 2008
- Action Plan For
Geography To Be Extended By Three Years -
A package of measures designed to revitalise geography in schools
and sit alongside the new more flexible curriculum was announced
by Schools Minister Jim Knight today, in a bid to reverse the
declining numbers studying the subject.
Teachers will be provided with interactive resources to bring to
life 'hard to teach' topics like fieldwork, and subjects
such as climate change, diversity and social cohesion.
Knight said he would extend the Action Plan for Geography, with
£1.8 million investment over the next three years and announced
that the Royal Geographical Society and the Geographical
Association had won the contract to deliver the next phase of the Plan.
Knight paid tribute to the excellent work already achieved by the
Royal Geographical Society and the Geographical Association in the
first phase of the Action Plan, which has already had a
significant impact on geography teaching in schools. The second
phase of the plan will embed and develop successes so far.
Other major strands of the second phase of the Action Plan will include:
* Continued development and enhancement of the Geography Teaching
Today website through targeted new resources, tutorials and CPD modules;
* Local networks of support for primary and secondary teachers
will be developed in areas with no existing networking opportunities;
* Expansion of the Geography Ambassadors programme to cover the
whole country by 2011. This means graduate and professional
geographers working with schools to demonstrate to pupils the
importance and relevance of geography beyond the classroom. So
far, Ambassadors' presentations have reached 17,500 pupils in
four regions;
* Target teachers and schools not yet engaged with the Action
Plan to encourage them to participate in the Action Plan and to
join local networks. User guides for teachers not previously
engaged will be included on the Geography Teaching Today website;
* Continued development and expansion of the two professional
recognition schemes - Chartered Geographer Teacher status and the
Geography Quality Mark. The schemes provide robust and nationally
available opportunities to support departments, schools and
teachers in their professional development, and to recognise good practice.
The new Key Stage 3 geography curriculum will start from
September 2008. It will offer teachers greater freedom to teach
topical, contemporary and relevant issues like climate change and
globalisation to engage pupils and encourage them to continue
studying geography at GCSE and beyond.
Teachers will have more flexibility to teach topical issues
relevant to young people's lives and to make links with other
curriculum subjects. Pupils will continue to learn about the
location of places and environments and will still be taught to
use atlases, globes and maps to help them develop their
geographical skills.
The Action Plan for Geography has developed resources to support
the new curriculum, including support for teachers to make use of
the new flexibilities, and support for non specialist subject
teachers. This support will continue and develop over the second
phase of the Action Plan.
Jim Knight said:
"Geography is a passion of mine, which is why I want to see
a seismic shift to reverse the declining numbers studying the subject.
"There are many excellent geography teachers out there, we
are now giving them the resources and flexibility in the
curriculum to generate interest and enthusiasm for the subject.
"Geography is absolutely crucial to all our futures - from
global issues like climate change to local issues like planning -
geography is at the core."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Jim Knight was speaking at the Geographical Association
Conference at the University of Surrey, Guildford.
2. The Action Plan for Geography (APG) was launched by Lord
Adonis in March 2006 to enhance the teaching and learning of
geography in primary and secondary schools. Supported by £2m over
two years, the overarching goal of the Action Plan was to show the
potential and relevance of geography to life in the 21st century,
to support teachers to realise this potential and to engage pupils
with geography in an enjoyable way, encouraging them to continue
studying geography at GCSE level and beyond.
3. The funding will decrease over the next three years and the
main strands of the Action Plan will become sustainable from 2011.
4. The first phase of the Action Plan has been carried out
jointly by the Geographical Association and the Royal Geographical
Society and has already had a significant impact on geography
teaching in schools.
5. Action Plan achievements to date:
* Over 1000 schools actively engaged with the Action Plan.
* Developed the Geography Teaching Today website - a central
point of access for all resources to support geography teaching
and professional development. The GTT website has an average of
5,000 individual visits a week - more than twice its target level.
* Set up an Ambassadors programme to excite and enthuse young
people about the relevance and importance of geography. Graduate
and professional geographers work with schools to demonstrate to
pupils the importance and relevance of geography beyond the
classroom. So far, Ambassadors' presentations have reached
17,500 pupils (500 ambassadors working with 500 schools).
* Created new and exciting resources to support Key Stage 3
teachers to make lessons more interesting and relevant for pupils.
Nine new modules have been developed covering relevant issues like
globalisation, tourism, sustainability and the 2012 Olympics.
* Provided additional support for non specialist teachers
including a dedicated area on the GTT website and online tutorials
to help them make lessons more interesting and relevant for pupils.
* Developed a virtual fieldwork and local learning centre to help
teachers make the most of geography in their local areas. This
includes expert advice and planning on embedding fieldwork in the
curriculum. The online resource has been supported by free
training for 300 teachers.
* Provided high quality training for primary and secondary
teachers of geography, responding to the need for teachers to be
more confident in developing and planning the curriculum.
* Involved leading geography teachers in the development of CPD
programmes and resources, so their expertise can be shared more widely.
* Recognised the achievements of schools in delivering excellent
geography through Primary and Secondary Quality Marks. 188
primary and secondary schools have been awarded Geography Quality
Marks and a further 86 have registered for the scheme.
* Recognised the professional achievements of Geography teachers
through a new professional accreditation - Chartered Geography
Teacher. The scheme is available to all teachers to recognise and
encourage ongoing professional development. Almost 100 teachers
have been accredited as Chartered Geographer Teachers.
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