From the archive - Fleure to Mill 2 - Christmas 1933

Another letter from H J Fleure to Hugh Robert Mill. I love these old letters in the GA Archives. I plan to go up to Solly Street this coming summer to spend a day delving into someof the boxes that I didn't manage to get into last time I went, which is too long ago, and take lots more pictures. 

This was the era when Fleure was in Manchester rather than Aberystwyth, and he is sad that Mill is no longer chairing GA meetings, but says that:

 "the Association is now, I hope, on its feet and able to walk erect"

This was down to some financial prudence from W.A. Cadbury.

The death of T.W.Sowerbutts of the Manchester Geographical Society is also noted.

He finishes by noting the growth in people taking geography as a subject in examinations. A promising trend.

From the archive - Fleure to Mill

A letter from H J Fleure to Hugh Robert Mill, sent in 1932 thanking him for attending a gathering. The letterhead is interesting too.

Steve Brace on the value of fieldwork

Over the years Chief Executives of the GA have engaged with newspapers and had letters published at various time.

If you missed yesterday's Guardian (as I do out of term time), here's the letter from Steve Brace on the importance of fieldwork...

GA Conference 2024

The 2024 GA Conference is underway at the University of Manchester with a theme of 'Geography for Everyone' proposed by President Denise Freeman. This is the first I've missed for almost twenty years, due to train strikes and other issues.

The #GAConf24 long-standing members & Past Presidents’ lunch is in full swing. Can you spot your geography heroes? pic.twitter.com/QbXYDiYkLW

— Geographical Association (@The_GA) April 5, 2024

Congratulations to Catherine Owen, who was revealead as the President for 2025-6. She will appear on this blog in due course.

So relieved to be able to tell people about this! So happy to have been elected to serve the amazing @The_GA in this way. 🌎 https://t.co/B7k5SV5zCd

— Catherine Owen (@GeogMum) April 4, 2024

Alun Morgan gave this year's Rex Walford Memorial Lecture 

The Rex Walford lecture 2024
Great to hear Alun Morgan#GAConf24@The_GA pic.twitter.com/memu6jF0Wi

— Geography Primary & Early Years Committee @The_GA (@EYPPC_GA) April 5, 2024

We will also be back in Oxford in 2025 at Oxford Brookes University.

Image: Denise Freeman

The GA's new Chief Executive: Steve Brace

An important announcement from the GA today.

Alan Kinder's replacement was announced.

The full announcement said:

The Geographical Association (GA) is delighted to announce that Steve Brace has been appointed as its new Chief Executive.

Steve is already well known to the geography education community having previously been Head of Education and Outdoor Learning at the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) (RGS (with IBG)). He started his career as a geography teacher at a London comprehensive, moving on to roles at the charity Action Aid and the Commonwealth Institute, before joining the RGS (with IBG). Whether via social media or through regular contributions to the Times Educational Supplement and other newspapers, Steve has become an important and trusted spokesperson for geography.

Professor Alastair Owens, the GA’s Chair of Trustees, commented:

‘Steve Brace is a leading figure in the geography education community, and I am thrilled that he will be joining the GA. He brings deep experience of supporting geography teachers from primary to A level, has been influential in shaping education policy relevant to our discipline, has built many partnerships and raised funds to develop new initiatives, and has played a key role in making geography more diverse and inclusive.

Steve’s energy and strategic vision will enable the GA to address the needs of its members in responsive and imaginative ways and ensure that it continues to be a powerful voice in advocating for the relevance and value of a geographical education in a rapidly changing world. The GA and geographical education are in very good hands.’

Steve Brace said:

‘I am delighted to be joining the GA as its Chief Executive and to lead the organisation at such an important time for our subject. My first GA conference was in 1989. Since then, I have worked alongside many GA colleagues, its trustees and members – and long admired its work.

The GA, and our subject community as a whole, have much to celebrate. There have been significant improvements in geography teaching across primary and secondary schools. Exam entries have increased and geographers are receiving greater public recognition.

However, there is more work needed to strengthen the supply of subject specialist geography teachers, to protect and develop fieldwork, advance equality, diversity and inclusion and better connect geography’s value to all young people’s aspirations. The GA, through its own work and in partnership, has a vital role to play in addressing such challenges. I am pleased to be joining during Denise Freeman’s Presidential year and look forward to working with her, Vice President Hina Robinson, the entire GA community and its collaborators to address these priorities.’

Steve will join the GA staff on 25 March 2024 in good time for the Annual Conference and Exhibition, themed ‘Geography for Everyone’, which takes place at the University of Manchester, 4–6 April 2024.

🎉Congratulations to Steve Brace, our former colleague, on his appointment as CEO at @The_GA.

We are all looking forward to the opportunities to collaborate more closely between our organisations. https://t.co/QVRn31OzGg

— Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) (@RGS_IBG) March 14, 2024

100 000 page views

It's coming up to five years since I started this blog.

At the time, I had been announcd as the forthcoming GA President and started my year as Junior Vice President (the final person to hold that role for the time being.

The blog has just passed 100 000 page views... which is nice...

The next President to be added will be Hina Robinson, on the 1st of September.

In a month, we will find out who will be her successor as GA President: either Catherine Owen or Kit Marie Rackley.

Update

Congratulations to Catherine Owen.

New GA Blog from AESIG

David Gardner has contributed a useful new post on the GA Blog on behalf of the Assessment and Examinations Special Interest Group of the GA.

The GA Blog - Topical insights, advocacy and updates in Geography my blog post responding to Ofsted’s geography subject report focussing on formative assessment on behalf of AESIG has been uploaded today. https://t.co/xIDzOGclFm

— David Gardner (@GeogJazz) March 4, 2024

Here's a related pathway at the forthcoming GA Conference.

The team at AESIG have put together some suggested pathways for @The_GA conference, which focuses on assessment, examination and curriculum planning themes.

There are some amazing sessions here! What else might you want to go and see? pic.twitter.com/bZktmic9ZW

— GA_AESIG (@GA_AESIG) March 5, 2024

Carole Porter

If you have received a parcel from the Geographical Association's shop in the last decade or more, there's a fair chance that it was packaged and processed by Carole Porter. 

Carole worked at Solly Street for over 25 years as Sales Administrator having joined in 1996. If you have ever attended the GA Conference, you have probably met Carole as she worked on the GA's stand. If you've ever rung the GA HQ you may well have spoken to Carole too. I was very happy to have Carole as a colleague when I worked there.

Carole retired at Christmas 2023, and I wish her a very happy retirement.

Liz Young RIP

Via the latest Spring 2024 issue of the GA Magazine, we heard about the sad passing of Liz Young, who was heavily involved in the North Staffs Branch of the Geographical Association as well as working as a Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire University. Condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.

RIP Professor Denys Brunsden

Via Anjana Khatwa on Instagram, I heard of the passing of Professor Denys Brunsden, GA President for 1986.

He did a great deal for the Association.

Condolences to Denys' friends and colleagues and particular to his family: Elizabeth, Martin and Judith.

Several people have already been sharing their memories of Denys. Thanks to Philip Anderson.

Updated end of February

The BBC shared this story.

They point out that he was keeping busy with numerous projects.

GA Presidential Election for 2025-6

Following the call for nominations for the role of GA President 2025–26, an election is now taking place to discover the next GA President to succeed Hina Robinson, who will be GA President for 2024-5.

Nominations have been received for Catherine Owen and Kit Marie Rackley.

The GA President holds a number of key responsibilities, including setting the theme of the GA Annual Conference, chairing the Conference Planning Board and delivering the Presidential Lecture at Conference.

The President serves as Vice President (2024–5) in their first year and as an ex-officio member of Education Group. In the second year, as President (2025–6), they will also serve as the Chair of Education Group. 

Following their presidency, they serve for one further year as Immediate Past President (2026–7) and remain as a member of the GA’s Governing Body. 

Throughout the period of office, they work with the Chair of Trustees and Chief Executive to help steer the work of the Governing Body and the Association.

Read the statements from the two candidates and vote for your preferred choice by the 26th of February. You have a month to shape the future of the GA through your decision here. 

This election continues a trend of having more teacher Presidents put themselves forward than has historically been the case.

The new President will also be working with a new GA Chief Executive.

You have until the 5th of February to apply for that exciting role. Details here.

And if you want to vote and you aren't already a GA member, then now is your perfect opportunity to join and have your say.

GA Conference Programme 2024

Those who have already booked their early bird tickets, or are yet to book their tickets can now see the full programme for the GA Conference 2024.

I've got two inputs into the event. I'm running a book club featuring the book 'Dust' by Jay Owens. I'm hoping Jay will also be there in person.

I'm also presenting a lecture plus called 'Wake up and smell the Geography!' on the first session of the 5th of April.

Excited to see friends old and new and particularly the sessions from John Wilkinson and Sharon Witt and Helen Clarke - always wonderful....

Simulation in the Classroom

Simulation in the Classroom is a book in the 'Penguin papers in education' series. It is written by John Taylor and former GA President Rex Walford.

It explores the idea of role playing games and other simulations  

There are a few examples of games in the book.

There is the classic Herefordshire Farm Game, which involves students taking over the management of Canon Pyon farm on the Welsh border and deciding which crops to grow in its fields, whose yields are dependent on the weather experienced in each year they are in charge. The game was developed by W. V. Tidswell and was a regular part of my teaching when I first started .

It works well.

There is also a game developed by another former GA President when she was still teaching: Sheila Jones. This was developed along with David Gowing. It is an Urban Growth model, based on the city of Bristol, and developed following a session as part of the Madingley Lectures in 1967.

Check out John Taylor's work on simulation as well.

A cross-posting from my GeoLibrary blog.

'Changing the subject'

This book by Eleanor Rawling was flagged up for me by David Lambert in a recent conversation where I talked about some of the curriculum changes I'd seen.

It describes the changes that took place in school geography between 1980 and 2000 - the era when I trained as a teacher and then started teaching.

I purchased a copy from Amazon second hand, which turned out to have been withdrawn from the Edward Boyle Library at the University of Leeds.

Eleanor, a former GA President of course, describes the various policy decisions at national level which influenced the shape of the National Curriculum in the mid 80s, with its many many attainment targets, which were turned into double page spreads by David Waugh and Tony Bushell in the ubiquitous 'Key Geography' series.

The book was published by the Geographical Association, and the acknowledgements section mentions a whole list of former GA Presidents who were also involved in its production, particularly Richard Daugherty and also in the contents as they were a big part of discussions around the time of the development of the National Curriculum.

More to come once I've had a chance to digest it further...

A chance to be the next Chief Executive of the GA

A chance for an exciting new role for someone in 2024.

Full details here.

We now seek a new Chief Executive to provide strategic leadership of the GA and its passionate, professional staff team of 18, based at the Association’s headquarters in Sheffield. This is a strategic role for a collaborative leader to shape and drive the development and implementation of the Association’s strategic vision. 

Our current Strategic Plan comes to an end in 2025, giving you the opportunity to work closely with trustees and members to build on past achievements and identify and develop new opportunities to enable the Association to thrive into the 2030s.