Paula Richardson

Paula Richardson has been involved with the GA for many decades and held may different posts, and served on committees for decades.

She has also written the 'Meanderings' section of GA Magazine for even longer than I've written the Webwatch column. This comes at the end of each issue and is a sort of miscellany of ideas and links of general interest to all key stages. It always has something of interest.

Paula and her husband Tony have also written or co-written a great many resources for the GA including the Superschemes series, and resources to accompany another Paula creation: Barnaby Bear (see his own separate post)

Paula says:

After a lifetime in education including the placement and supervision of trainee teachers both in the UK and overseas I now work more specifically with teachers working towards QTS status.
Educators Abroad offers a programme to experienced teachers to assist then in obtaining fully qualified teacher status if not already held. We work in schools around the world in particular International Schools where the curriculum is taught in English. More details can be found at
www.educatorsabroad.org
As a geographer I am also an adviser, author and teacher. 

At present I chair the Publications Board of the Geographical Association and am also a member of the Governing Body of the GA.

She was educated at Ripon College of Education, Yorkshire and the University of Surrey, and completed her EdD at the University of Sheffield.

Paula was awarded Honorary Membership at the 2021 GA Conference - the Association's highest honour. 

Here is the citation that I read out.

Honorary Membership

This is the highest award that the GA makes and recognises the enormous contribution that the
recipients have made to the GA and to geography in education. This year the award goes to Paula
Richardson.
Paula joined the GA forty-five years ago in 1975 and she has given outstanding service during this
time in a multitude of ways – through her work as consultant, her many publications – including
the invention of Barnaby Bear for the QCA Schemes of work – and extensive work as chair of
Publications Board; she is a highly-valued member of EYPPC and FOLSIG; she promotes the GA at
national and international level, supporting ITE with Educators Abroad; she is also a GA Governing
Body named trustee.

She is the GA’s representative on the Education Committee of the Royal Meteorological Society.
Paula has been a consultant to the GA since 2005 and a Primary Geography Quality Mark
moderator since its launch in 2006. She has made numerous school-based CPD and conference
contributions over many years, always promoting the aims and objectives of the GA.

Paula has had a varied career; in addition to teaching, she has worked as a local authority adviser,
in ITT and in many significant roles for the GA. Other activities include her volunteer work with St
Johns Ambulance, most recently training hundreds of Covid-19 vaccinators.

She is constant in her service to the Association: few volunteers can be more deserving of this
award. As one staff colleague commented: ‘It’s hard to think of anyone who’s done more for the GA’.

Image copyright: Bryan Ledgard / Geographical Association