Hugh Robert Mill - his autobiography #1

New in my library of books relating to the history of the Geographical Association is this book: the autobiography of Hugh Robert Mill, who was GA President in 1932 but also had a very long association with the RGS as well, holding various posts at the RGS.

He was a contemporary of many of the other greats of the post-war period including Herbertson, Dudley Stamp, Keltie, Geddes, MacKinder et al.

I look forward to finding out a little more about his time as GA President, although he doesn't mention it very much at all. There are several of his items in the GA Archives.

One of the stories connected with his GA Presidential address is that by this stage - having been affected by ill health throughout his life, he was almost completely blind and gave his 1933 address from memory.

In the same year, he was offered the Presidency of the RGS, but declined.

GA President 2028-2029 - nominations now open

Fancy being the next GA President after Sophie Wilson's term of office?

Nominations are now open.

Details are here.

Professor Simon Catling - RIP

I'm afraid this is another post this October, sharing very sad news.

I was very sorry to hear of Simon's passing on the 28th of October 2026, peacefully at home with his family.

His legacy and impact on Primary Geography education in particular is unparalleled, with 300 publications or articles across his career.

There are plans to celebrate Simon's life at Charney Manor, a place he loved and where he created and led the wonderfully inspiring Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference for so many years, which I was privileged to attend and speak at a number of times over the years.

Condolences to Simon's wife Lesley, and his son Mark and daughter Emma - and his wider family, and to Simon's former colleagues and friends, particularly those on the GA's EYPPC who worked with him for decades.

Please hold Simon in your thoughts.

You can read his full entry on the blog and find out more about his remarkable career and impact here.

Simon was GA President in 1992.

Simon's daughter Emma and his grandson have been running 5k's throughout October

You can donate on the link here.

Image: Provided by Simon himself when I wrote his original biography.

Professor Norman Graves - RIP

A cross posting from my Living Geography blog. 

I received sad news today from Frances Slater, via GA President Fiona Sheriff about the sad passing of Norman Graves at the end of September. Frances' book 'Learning through Geography' sits in the bookshelf by my desk alongside Norman's classic 'Curriculum Planning in Geography'.

Norman was GA President in 1978. His entry on my GA Presidents is on the link here.

Image: Norman speaking at an IGU event in Leningrad in 1976 - image supplied by Norman.

The entry on the blog outlines his tremendous work in curriculum thinking. In a GeReCo piece by John Morgan, he says that at the time of his work at the Institute of Education Norman, David Hall and Bill Marsden:

"were attempting to make sense for teachers of the convergence of curriculum theory and geographical theory. Geography was going undergoing its conceptual revolution and education was being reshaped by new findings from educational psychology and the introduction of rational curriculum planning. Graves summarised the challenges for geography teachers, who must make sense of the philosophical basis of their teaching and consider psychological questions of how young people learn. He noted that there were sociological questions of why some children learned faster and more effectively, but this was not his prime concern (even though it was of growing interest to others and spawned the birth of the ‘new sociology of education’ (Young 1971) also at the Institute of Education (IoE)."

Norman was very much involved with the work of the IGU as well as supporting the work of the GA.

A full appreciation of his work will appear in a future GA journal (and no doubt elsewhere) and I will collate these onto Norman's blog entry.

To finish, here's Norman with family and friends celebrating his 100th birthday in January of this year.

Image provided by Helene Scott with thanks, and with whom copyright resides.

Updates 10th October 2026

The IGU-CGE (Commission on Geographical Education) used the image that Norman had given to me from Leningrad in their Facebook post.

The IGU Commission on Geographical Education is deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Norman Graves recently. 

Chair of the Commission from 1972 to 1980, he was a leading figure in geographical education who helped strengthen the Commission’s international reach and influence.
During his chairmanship, Professor Norman Graves continued and developed the Commission’s collaboration with UNESCO. He initiated and edited the New UNESCO Source Book for Geography Teaching, published in 1982, bringing together contributions from geography educators across the world.
His interest in geography began as a primary school pupil in France and grew into a lifelong dedication to geographical education. His career took him from teaching in English secondary schools to the University of Liverpool and the Institute of Education, University of London, where he served as Professor of Geography Education and later Pro-Director (Professional Studies).

In his 2008 article, “Reflections on a Life in Geographical Education,” published in International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, Professor Norman Graves championed “the free flow of ideas across national boundaries” and urged geographical education to confront environmental harm, impoverishment and intolerance. His words remain a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility: to sustain dialogue across borders and help young people engage thoughtfully with the world and with one another.

We remember Professor Norman Graves with deep gratitude for his scholarship, leadership, and enduring contribution to our international community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, former students, and colleagues.

May he rest in peace.

Former GA Chief Exeecutive Professor David Lambert said of Norman that he was:

"a remarkable, gentle, perceptive and generous man".

Michael Storm, RIP

As I posted back in September, the GA was made aware of the passing of Michael Storm. 

Michael was GA President in 1988 - the year I started teaching. I referred to his work in my GA Presidential lecture. It's worth reading this entry to find out more about him - he did a great deal for the discipline and also the association.

I drew on his idea of "professional zest" several times.

Other memories of Michael are welcome, as indeed they are for any other past President.

This appreciation of Michael was published in the Autumn issue of the GA News.

Copyright: Geographical Association.

Join the GA to receive this magazine three times a year, and you can also add subscriptions to the other three journals that the GA publishes.

2026: Fiona Sheriff

It's time for another new GA President. Another year has passed.

The President for the next year is Fiona Sheriff. She is another female teacher, continuing a welcome trend for the last few years. She is also the youngest ever GA President, having been born in the year when I started teaching.

I sent Fiona the questions that I had given to all other Presidents and used them to create the post below. I'm grateful to Fiona for the level of detail she provided.

When and where were you born? 

"I was born in 1988 in Chelmsford, Essex. I grew up in Braintree in north Essex. My dad is Braintree born and bred, but my mum is a Londoner with Irish heritage."

Image credit: Alistair Hamill

Baby photo - Fiona Sheriff

Where did you go to school / university

"Growing up, my parents didn’t drive so we went to the most local schools to us. At Primary level, I went to John Bunyan Infant and Junior School which I started at in 1992, followed by Tabor High School (now Tabor Academy) which I started at in 1999. 

My memories of Primary school geography are of place-based studies such as completing an enquiry about St. Lucia (a place I have wanted to go to ever since!) and many studies of Braintree as a market town. Our fieldwork always seemed to centre around a walk up and down Bradford Street which has a fascinating history!

At secondary school we started by doing a carousel of humanities subject with Mr Pritchard and Mr Mullender, both of whom terrified me! Mr Pritchard had also taught my dad in the 1970s in the same school. In Year 9 I then had Miss Fox – who still teaches Geography in Essex now and with whom I re-connected with at the GA conference in Oxford. Sadly, at aged 14 I had other aspirations: becoming an interior designer and therefore geography was not one of my GCSE options. 

This is a little rare for GA Presidents, but regular followers of the blog will know that a lot of GA Presidents in the early days had no formal geographical connection.

Instead, I studied Double Art, French and Drama. I did well in my GCSEs achieving 1 A*, 8 Bs and a C, and through my own admission did no revision, despite being targeted lower grades due to the area I lived in. I had some challenging times at school, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Following my time at Tabor High School, I then studied A Levels at Braintree College from 2004-2007. At this time, the College was undergoing significant change and was about to stop offering A Levels, so the standard of teaching we received was very mixed. A few personal things also happened during my A Level studies, so my attendance became patchy in my first year. 

I studied A Level Geography, Law and AS History and General Studies. 

My Geography teacher Anna Bass was incredible. She’d spent some time in the US and had this fantastic Anglo-US accent. She would say things like “That’s neat, huh!” and she really enjoyed what she did. I probably still need to apologise a thousand times over for throwing up on our field trip to Wales! 

Image: Wales Geography field trip - Fiona Sheriff.

She really encouraged my love and fascination for Geography, but I definitely didn’t realise the importance of this then. 

During my A Levels I completed my UCAS application to study Paramedic Science but was declined as I didn’t have a driving licence! Instead, I turned my sights to joining the RAF as an Intelligence Officer as I had been heavily involved in the Air Training Corps since I was 15. 

Graduation photo - Fiona Sheriff

I didn’t do as well in my A Levels as I wanted and had to resit some modules. I left Braintree College with a B in AS General Studies, a D in AS History, a C in Geography and a D in Law. I didn’t have enough UCAS points for university if I had wanted to go. 

In 2007, a chance watching of an Open University TV ad encouraged me to take a look at what they had to offer so I embarked on my degree just after my 19th birthday and studied a range of courses with them until 2013 when I achieved my Open degree. I undertook courses which were geography based and this included modules about the environmental policy making, international development, and journeys through a changing world. At the time the OU weren’t offering a Geography degree, so I had opted to do the BSc Open instead. I achieved a 2:2 in my degree, but had also worked full time throughout it so I am very proud of my result. I was also the first person in my close family to gain a university degree, so whilst I may not have taken a traditional route it has shaped my approach to education and made me more determined to succeed."

What has your career pathway been?

I never set out to be a teacher and had wanted to join the RAF, however my first job role was as a waitress in a Wimpy burger restaurant during my A Levels. That job taught me a lot about patience, attention to detail and how to wash dishes!

In 2008 I had moved up to Norfolk to be closer to where I was training young people to fly in the Air Training Corps.

Fiona at RAF Watton in a GROB Viking Glider, 2009 - Fiona Sheriff

Fiona in uniform - Fiona Sheriff

I was working as a gliding instructor and spent every weekend training young people on the ‘Gliding Induction Course’ and ‘Gliding Scholarship’ programmes on the GROB Viking at RAF Watton in Norfolk, with 611 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. 

I was passionate about getting more girls into flying and to ‘give back’ for the opportunities that I had been afforded as an Air Cadet. During this time I also worked for Norwich Union – now Aviva, updating customer details and sending letters. 

In 2010 I moved back to Essex and became a learning support assistant at Tabor High School, which was very strange as a lot of my old teachers were still there and now I could call them by their first names. 

I then became a cover supervisor and taught a lot of art, food technology and photography and spent a lot of time teaching students how to use the dark room which had previously been used as a store cupboard. 

I then moved to Honywood Community Science College in 2012 as a cover supervisor before starting my teacher training there with Essex Teacher Training in 2013. At ETT we gained QTS and had the option of completing some extra modules to gain a PGCE through Edge Hill University, which I did – and attended the graduation there despite never going there! 

Edge Hill Graduation - Fiona Sheriff

Kerrie Brinkley-Whittington was my mentor and I was lucky to attend fieldwork trips to Costa Brava and Walton-on-the-Naze during this time. I did my second placement back at Tabor High School and then did my NQT year at Notley High School, another school I knew well due to it being across the road from my Nanna’s house. 

I enjoyed my time at Notley, and only left due to me re-locating to Northampton to move in with my now husband. 

The first school I taught at in Northampton was The Duston School in 2015, where I quickly picked up a promotion to Head of Year 10 in my NQT+1 year. That role taught me huge amounts about pastoral care, safeguarding, working with alternative provisions and the transition to GCSE.

Following this I moved to Kingsthorpe College in 2016 where I started as Director of Learning, this was a Head of House role and I was in charge of Purple House where I remained in this role until 2018 when I had my first child Isabella. 

On my return to work in 2019 I became Lead Practitioner for Vocational Subjects and Community Engagement where I predominantly taught Travel and Tourism. 

In this role I also ran a range of community projects which included setting up a PTFA – sadly due to the global pandemic and lockdown, many of my plans ground to a halt and when we returned to school in September 2020 my role had changed considerably and I then became Head of Geography instead – the role which I have held ever since. 

At both Duston and Kingsthorpe I was also the DofE manager until 2023.

During my time as Head of Geography I have also had two further maternity leaves. 

Outside of teaching, I continued to be a gliding instructor until 2017. I transferred to 616 VGS at RAF Henlow in 2013 following the closure of RAF Watton, and flew the GROB Vigilant which was a motor glider and then had a brief spell at 637 VGS at Little Rissington, before deciding that the good old days of Air Cadet gliding were no more. 

Air cadet gliding went through significant change between 2014 and 2017 due to technical difficulties with the aircraft and the GROB Vigilant went out of service.

I was also a Civilian Instructor on a variety of air cadet squadrons between 2009 and 2014 including 158 (Braintree) Squadron, 1207 (Maldon) Squadron and 231 (Norwich) Squadron. In my time at 1207 I was also an Adult Sergeant. When I became a teacher I found it difficult to balance being on an Air Cadet Squadron and completing teacher training and had to make the challenging decision to leave the Air Training Corps. 

Since 2020 I have engaged in a variety of different geography projects including presenting for the RGS, writing the ‘100 ideas for Secondary Geography Fieldwork’ published by Bloomsbury in 2024 (and which also won a GA Silver Publishing Award in 2025) and leading the UK Polar Network Antarctic Flags project since 2020 where hundreds of schools around the world have had students send artwork down to Antarctica to be photographed. 

I have also worked on a range of projects for Tutor2U including presenting at student revision workshops, creating fieldwork packs and writing a range of resources. I’ve enjoyed writing articles for a variety of publications and blogs included WideWorld, the GA blog and HWRK magazine. "

What was your job when you became President?

"I am currently Head of Geography at Kingsthorpe College in Northampton and I work three days a week there."

What theme did you choose when President, and why did you pick it? What had been your involvement with the GA leading up to that time?

"My theme for my Presidential year is ‘Passionate About Geography’, which I think leads on nicely from Catherine Owen’s theme of ‘Geography Makes A Difference’. 

One of the first things people ask you when you are elected is “what will your theme be?” and I floated between a few ideas but found it really tough to make a decision, until Briley Habib sent me a message one day saying “I think you’ve found your conference theme – Passion!” and that lit the lightbulb for me. My students always say that I am so passionate about what I do and how I want to help them, so this felt like a really good fit. Being passionate about geography feels like a celebration of our subject and gives us the opportunity to share why we really love what we do. It also encourages us to share that with our students. Passion is at the heart of geography. It drives us to explore, question and understand the world around us. Geography helps us make sense of our planet and our place within it, but more than that, it encourages us to care. Passion transforms geographical knowledge into something meaningful, prompting us to make connections and engage with real-world issues.

For many students, that passion begins in the classroom. Through powerful enquiries and meaningful experiences, we can spark curiosity and help shape how young people think about the world. In a time of complex global challenges, from climate change to inequality, geography provides essential understanding, but it is passion that motivates action.

My involvement with the GA started quite late. I have always been a school member, but I didn’t attend my first GA conference until 2021 when it was online and then in 2022 I attended the conference at Guildford where I presented on local fieldwork ideas. 

At the time there were only around 6 people in the room, but one of those was Elaine Anderson who I then worked with closely on the Oak National Academy collaboration with the GA as the curriculum development lead, so that felt like right time, right place. 

I had my second baby, Luna, a few weeks before conference in 2023 so did not attend that year but have since presented in 2024, 2025 and 2026. In 2023 I led my geography department to the Secondary Geography Quality Mark and Centre of Excellence which was a great opportunity to really audit what we do and consider our strengths and areas for development. 

In 2024 I was awarded the GA Excellence Award and the OS Award by the RGS.

I have also authored an article for Teaching Geography on our ‘Golden Threads’ curriculum and an article for the GA magazine on playability and fieldwork. 

In my role as a consultant for the GA I have also undertaken some work with the BBC, auditing their resources on BBC Teach and Bitesize and making re-writing the suite of teachers notes for secondary geography. 

Why does the GA matter to you? How did you get involved, and what roles have you played within the GA?

Fiona in Svalbard

The GA essentially feels like the beating heart of the geography community, it brings together geography teachers from across the world to help improve geography education. I’ve been both a school and a personal member, and whilst I began my support from afar, since 2023 I have tried to become more involved in the GA. I am part of the ‘Fieldwork and Outdoor Learning Special Interest Group’ (FOLSIG) and this has been a great way to help promote fieldwork – especially through the National Festival of Fieldwork. 

The group are a fantastic support, and it is full of really talented, caring and dedicated professionals. 

At the 2024 conference, the then GA President, Denise Freeman came and spoke to me one lunchtime about how I should consider running for GA President and that it had been commented on by a few people. 

One message from her conference was to be ‘Positively Delusional’ and gaining a nomination to run for GA President certainly felt like it fit that message. If elected, I was about to become the youngest ever GA President and possibly had the shortest membership time in comparison to those who came before me. In the election, both myself and Kit-Marie Rackley were in contention for the role. Kit is a phenomenal educator and all round good-egg and even to be standing next to Kit in an election felt like a huge honour, so to be elected blew my mind. 

As part of the presidential role I will also be a trustee for three years. This is a really interesting part of the role and I have learnt a lot about the inner workings of the GA and how charities operate. 

In my role as President, I hope to really celebrate geography and encourage more young people to get involved, study the subject and become advocates for it themselves.  

Best wishes to Fiona for her year as GA President.

PTI Geography Symposium - 9th-10th July

I have been sharing my thoughts from the first Geography Symposium organised by the PTI in association with the GA and the RGS (who hosted the event).

We had just heard Bill McGuire's bleak prognosis for our climate and I noticed this above the rear entrance door to the Ondaatje Theatre. This commemorates the work of Charles Close (who was also a GA President) who was in office as RGS President when the Society celebrated its centenary. We are preparing for the bicentenary of the RGS in 2030.

1000 posts!

I started this blog as a "legacy project" from my GA Presidential journey, and Presidential year in 2021-22.

It has attracted some interest and had over 450 000 page views, which is not bad for a blog.

Thanks to all the GA Presidents - past, present and future for their support and contributions.

I have just passed 1000 posts on the blog.

Thanks for visiting and reading.

GA President 2027-2028 - Election now open

Another year and another opportunity to shape the work of the GA and be part of its history (and geography).

An election is being held for the GA President in 2027-2028.

There are three nominations this time round, which is great to see.

There are 3 candidates.

Rachel Hawke

Helen Martin

Sophie Wilson

You can read their statements on the link here:

All full personal, life, joint, concessionary and group members are eligible to vote. Make sure that you use yours.

The deadline for voting is the 27th of February 2026.

This will mean the 5th female GA President in a row - certainly unprecedented in the history of the Association (as was 4 in a row, and 3 in a row)... Catch up with all the previous Presidents by visiting my GA Presidents blog if you haven't already...

The results will be announced at the GA Conference in April 2026.

'The Geographer as Scientist'

From my visit to a wonderful second-hand book shop called ‘Peter’s Books’ (probably the best in East Anglia), I now have a 1956 copy of ‘The Geographer as Scientist’ by S.W. Wooldridge. 

He was GA President in 1954 and also President of the IBG and Chair of the Field Studies Council. 

There are some excellent essays, including his own GA Presidential address, with plenty to say about teaching and the rle of the GA, RGS and FSC and how it has changed.

Could you be the GA President for 2027-28?

You have until October to put yourself forward...

There is also a position for an Elected Trustee.

This is the current Governing Body, with Alastair Owens as Chair.

2025: Catherine Owen

For the fourth year out of the last five, the GA President will be a teacher, and a female state-school teacher for the third year in a row - and with a fourth to come next year. Quite a turnaround from the long-established pattern.

Catherine Owen is the new GA President for 2024-25

I sent Catherine the questions that I had given to all other Presidents and used them to create the post below. 

I'm grateful to Catherine for the level of detail she provided and taking the time to help create this entry on the blog.

When and where were you born?

I was born in Bristol in 1972. Both of my parents are Cornish and my Cornish heritage is an important part of my identity.

Where did you go to school / university?

I grew up in Yatton, a village outside Bristol which had been chosen for rapid expansion from the 1960s onwards. There was such a rapid influx of children into Yatton Infants School in the late 1970s that all the classrooms were Portakabins, with the old stone school building reserved for assemblies and lessons such as cooking. 

Aged seven we moved to the Junior School next door, which had four classes in each year group. 

Graduation day

It was wonderful to grow up in a village full of families with young children, but the rapid growth also
meant a lack of facilities and services.
We were bussed to the village of Backwell for secondary school on a fleet of around 13 coaches. I was a quiet, hard working student and appreciated the opportunities that Backwell School gave me, including learning to play the clarinet and saxophone and to go on visits including to France and The Netherlands. 

I studied maths, physics and geography for my A levels whilst also working at a local supermarket and taking part in the guiding movement as a Ranger Guide and as the Young Leader of a Brownie pack.
I wanted to be a teacher from pre-school, but initially thought I would study history. 

It was my amazing GCSE and A level geography teacher, Mr George, who changed my mind. 

I applied to study geography and physics at Lancaster University, but was horrified to find on results day that I had only achieved an E in geography, despite being predicted an A! 

At this time you applied to Universities and Polytechnics separately, so I called my first choice Polytechnic and was delighted to be
accepted to study Geographical Sciences.

By the time I arrived, Plymouth Polytechnic had become Polytechnic South West, then I actually graduated from the University of Plymouth in 1993 with a 2:1. I stayed in Plymouth to complete my PGCE at Marjon University, including placements in Plymstock and Bodmin.

What has your career been?

I would have loved to stay in Plymouth to teach, but no suitable jobs came up. 

My first teaching position was at Holyrood School in Chard, Somerset, where I taught yr 7-13 geography and also GNVQ Intermediate Leisure and Tourism. After a year I was given responsibility for the National Curriculum theme of Environmental Education, which came with a small pay rise. 

I also completed a MEd in School Effectiveness and Improvement with a group of teachers from Somerset – my PGCE had included little theory and I felt that I needed to learn more about the art and practice of reaching.

After four years and a term in Chard I moved to The King Alfred School, picking up the Head of Geography role in January 1999. 26 years later I am still Head of Geography at King Alf’s – I fell for the school and haven’t found another role I would rather do. 

King Alf’s is the only school serving the communities of Highbridge, Burnham on Sea and surrounding villages, so it is a true community school with wonderful staff. We have been through some difficult times over the years, but always look after each other. Whilst I may have been in the same school role for a long time, I have had many opportunities to be involved in different projects and adventures, often through the

Geographical Association. 

My first foray into writing was an article based on my MEd research for ‘Teaching Geography’ back in 2000. 

I have since written a range of articles, including co-authoring an article for ‘Primary Geography’, and have also written toolkit books,  and a chapter in the ‘Secondary Geography Handbook’ along with other resources. 

Most recently, in 2024 my book on 'Teaching Climate Change' written with Andrew Taylor, was published by the GA. 

I have also presented CPD for the GA, including the ‘Quality Geography for Non-Specialists’ course

which I currently lead twice a year.

My work for the GA led to other opportunities, including contributing to a GCSE textbook for OUP, a KS3 textbook for Hodder and a GCSE revision guide for Clear Revise. 

I have written many resources for Tutor2U and thoroughly enjoy presenting some of their Revision Blasts

on YouTube. 

I am also very active on social media with the handle @GeogMum reflecting

the importance of geography, teaching and my family to me.

The project which has meant most to me is my work with a group of schools in Uganda. When Seb Witts joined my department in 2014 he told me about St Charles Lwanga School in Kampala, where he had worked for 18 months. We gained funding from the GA Initiatives Fund (GAIF)  to bring the Headteacher, Benedict Ssaazi, to the UK in 2015, then gained funding from the Royal Geographical Society and King Alf’s to visit Uganda in 2016. 

This was the first of three visits, during which we worked with a group of schools on projects including questioning in the classroom and teachers observing each other and providing constructive feedback. In 2018 we held a one day Geographical Association conference at Good Times Primary School, with speakers from the Education Department and workshops hosted by local teachers as well as me and Seb. The Kasubi group of schools continues to collaborate on a wide range of projects and Seb took students from his current school to visit them in 2025.

We are also proud as a department to have achieved the Secondary Geography Quality Mark and Centre of Excellence from the GA.

What was your job when your became President?

I am currently Head of Geography at The King Alfred School an Academy on a 0.8 contract, doing consultancy work on my non-teaching day each week.

What theme did you choose when President, and why did you pick it? 

What had been your involvement with the GA leading up to that time?

I joined the GA as a PGCE student in 1993 and attended my first GA Conference in Southampton in 1995 – I have only missed a handful of conferences since then. I wanted to get more involved in the GA, so when I saw an advertisement for members for a working group on Leisure and Tourism in GA News I expressed interest. 

This group was ably led by Alan Marvell and I was a member for several years, until qualifications moved on and the group was no longer needed. I wanted to be involved with the GA, but found it hard to get a toehold. Following a lecture by Eleanor Rawling at a GA conference in 2007, where she encouraged members to become more active in the GA, I approached Eleanor, sharing my frustrations. Eleanor took me out of the lecture theatre and up to the first working group stand – the International Working Group. 

She introduced me to the Chair, Kevin Cook, asking if I could join. 

GA International SIG - Kevin Cook far left

I am so grateful to Eleanor for this, as I not only became more involved with the GA, but also met my ‘Geography Uncles’ Kevin Cook and Adam Nichols, who have given me so much support and encouragement. I became the Secretary of the group, then Vice-Chair, then Chair. Becoming Chair meant I joined the Education Group, learning more about the GA as a whole and having the opportunity to be involved in more discussions and projects. Throughout this time I had also become more involved as a  consultant to the GA, as described previously.

I also sit on the Publications Board and joined the Board of Trustees when I became Vice-President.

Kevin and Adam always joked that I was a future GA President, but I couldn’t see how I could take on the role whilst also being a classroom teacher. The increase in the use of technology from meetings and communication during COVID times solved the problem of being closely involved with an organisation based in Sheffield whilst being based in Somerset myself. 

L-R: Denise, Hina, Susan and Catherine

I was delighted when first Denise, then Hina, were elected as President whilst still in the classroom. With my children becoming adults, I felt it was time to put myself forward. 

I chose the theme of ‘Geography makes a Difference’ for three reasons:

• Learning about the world makes a difference to our students. Some will be fascinated to learn about concepts and processes which enable them to make sense of the complex world around them. Others will be frustrated when they learn about issues and inequalities, developing a passion for tackling challenges which may shape the direction of their lives. Gaining knowledge of the world whilst developing geospatial, green and transferable skills can also make a difference to students by increasing their employability.
• A high quality geography education is particularly important for students who experience disadvantage in education. Students who haven’t had the opportunity to travel, learn about different people and places and the geography curriculum can be designed to enhance cultural capital. Fieldwork takes students to contrasting locations where they can learn how to work in different contexts as well as developing their geographical skills. This learning can make a difference to our students life chances, giving them confidence to navigate their way through the world.
•  Issues facing us can seem scary and the future uncertain. Geography makes a difference by giving students a space to learn about and discuss issues, supporting their well being. This is particularly important in relation to the Climate Crisis – geography allows us to explore the causes of this crisis and its different impacts, but also empowers us to ask questions and make choices to work towards tackling it.

I hope that this theme will encourage geography educators to reflect on their practice and consider the difference geography makes. 

How can we maximise the benefits of studying geography? How do we share ideas about how to make a difference through geography?

Why does the GA matter to you?

The GA matters to me because it encourages geography educators to work together to be the best they can be. It provides a voice for geography educators – we are stronger together.

Past Presidents Susan Pike and Gill Miller have been extremely supportive of my decision to put my name forward to be President and Gill helped me come up with my Presidential Theme. It is such a shame that both of their conferences had to be online due to COVID – they are both such great geographers, leaders and role models.

Hina and Denise have also been wonderful in showing me the ropes, and with Fiona to come after me, we make a great team!

Denise, Catherine, Hina and Fiona - the Presidential team

Dudley Stamp and his influence

Dudley Stamp was the President of the GA in 1950, 75 years ago this year.

I posted previously about a display at the RGS of one of the 24 plaster relief models that was produced to be used for photographic plates in his 1951 book 'The Earth's Crust".

You can also watch a talk that George gave on the link here. Part of the 'Be Inspired' series. 

This post is a review of the talk linked to above, which is well worth watching.

• Admitted to KCL at the age of 15
• Active service with Royal Engineers during the War
• Masters in Geology at the time
• University of Rangoon

Geological advisor to oil company, and worked with Arthur Holmes in Burma - oil company later folded.

Had a knack for breaking down concepts and making them clear.

Worked with Longman for years, to produce books such as 'The World'.

Left to become Professor at LSE - not an academic researcher as such

Champion of geographer.

Prolific output "if you really believe in your own work, publish and be damned"

Land Utilisation Survey - first set out at GA Conference in 1929 (E. Field in Northamptonshire had done a smaller project)

Interest in land use was prompted by the survey in 1931. Led to him travelling all over the country. Hoped to produce a series of 3D models from photographic slides.

Gave many lectures and spoke at debates and appeared in the media.

Appeared on Desert Island Disks.

Saw incrasing geographical awareness as being of national importance.

Popularised geography - also through the 'New Naturalist' series. The final contribution was published posthumously.

Served as President of RGS from 1963-66 (the former being the year of my birth) and his portrait hangs in the East Staircase.

Models are in the RGS collections - made by Thomas Bayley. The talk goes back to their origins, some examples - many of which are in storage due to their fragility and the development of modelling itself.

Well worth a listen...

Your chance to be GA President

 Each year, there is a chance to put yourself forward for the GA Presidency.  The next one is 2026-27.

You have until the 1st of November to put yourself forward along with your supporting statements.

The full details are, or will be on the GA website.

A new role for me at the RGS-IBG

I've been connected with the RGS-IBG for quite a number of years in various ways, as were quite a few other former GA Presidents. I'm now about to strengthen those connections a little more.

In 2007 I became a Fellow of the RGS and Chartered Geographer (Teacher) and have been ever since.

In 2008, I was awarded their Ordnance Survey Award for excellence in Secondary Geography Teaching. This was a proud moment and came at the culmination (I thought) of my teaching career as I was joining the Geographical Association and stepping out of the classroom. I didn't realise I'd be back again within five years.

I had also spoken at the RGS as part of a student day - with Alastair Owens actually - although I only found that out much later when digging through some old papers. It's a wonderful thing to stand on the stage in the Ondaatje Theatre where so many greats have stood before. We also took students there for a range of events, and I took part in an event representing the Guardian / DfE once as well. I ended up having lunch with Nicholas Crane and have bumped into all sorts of explorers and 'celebrity' geographers at times in the lunch area.

Between 2008 and 2011 I worked closely with the RGS - particularly Steve Brace - who is now the GA Chief Executive of course, and Claire Wheeler (now Claire Brown) along with the rest of their APG team as part of the Action Plan for Geography. This meant regular meetings at either the RGS or Solly Street at a time when Michael Palin was president.

From 2011 onwards for several years I contributed resources to the RGS website, thanks to Steve Brace. This included:

- From the Field resources - working with PhD researchers to translate their work into the classroom

- 'A' level / fieldwork materials funded by a Data Skills project

- a resource on Hunstanton's famous stripy cliffs

- the education materials for Felicity Aston's Going Beyond funded trip to the Pole of Cold - these won an award from the SAGT.

If you are a fellow, you will have received your electronic 'ballot paper' for the elections for Council for June 2024 and will perhaps have noticed that I have put myself forward for the post of Vice President: Education. I had to keep this to myself for a while.

This blog post would have been a request to vote for me in an election, but as it turned out I stood unopposed, so will be confirmed in this role at the AGM of the RGS in June, the same day as the RGS's Awards are handed out.

From June I shall therefore be taking on the role of Vice President: Education at the RGS and have a place on RGS Council for a four year term of office.

Thanks to the fine people who proposed me for the position, including a Polar explorer and some very excellent geography teacher colleagues.

Thanks also must go to my predecessor as VP Education: Mel Norman, who has also been closely associated with the Geographical Association. She Chaired and was Co-Chair/Secretary of the GA's Education Group and was also editor of 'Teaching Geography' for a lengthy period. 

She taught PGCE Geographers for many years - I visited her cohorts a few times while working for the GA - and is also closely associated with the organisation of the Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. I'm hoping she will pass on more of her wisdom, much as she did when I started my GA Presidency. Speaking of which, Mel is one of those people who has not been GA President (yet) but would be fantastic in the role. She has received awards from the GA for her work in a range of spheres.

If you're going to be at the AGM / Awards or reception in the evening it would be fantastic to catch up. 

I shall be back with more requests as I get started on the role in the summer. 

I look forward to working with all the various Council and committee members, RGS staff and the new incoming President Professor Dame Jane Francis, who received the RGS's Patron's Medal in 2022.

There is work to be done to ensure that all the ongoing support that the RGS offers for teachers meets their needs, and continues to be responsive and inclusive to the changing needs of the profession. I'm excited to offer my support in various ways.

Image: Sam Parkinson

Call for GA Presidential nominations for 2025-6 is now open

The Autumn 2023 issue of the GA Magazine is now available to download online, with printed copies arriving before too long.

Among the news and updates on the GA's wider activities, there is the annual call for nominations to serve as the GA's President for 2025-26, following on from Hina Robinson.

It would be great to continue the run of teacher Presidents - not sure we've ever had three teacher Presidents in a row in the GA's history.

If anyone is thinking about the possibility of putting themselves forward I'm happy to answer DMs or chat in confidence. And if you do decide to put yourself forward then good luck!

800 posts and over 50 000 views

I started this blog in April 2019. It was then that I was able to tell people something that I heard in November 2018: that I was going to be the President for the Geographical Association for 2021-22.

As part of any legacy I might leave after my year in office, I decided to write a biography of every GA President to date, and also to add future Presidents for as long as possible.

Inevitably it was also a biography of the GA as well. I scan-read every single issue of the GA's journals: particularly 'The Geographical Teacher' and 'Geography', going all the way back to 1901.

This was to look for mentions of what Presidents had done before, during and after holding the office. Presidential addresses were also printed for some decades. Many have been lost to history.

At the same time, I also got involved in the Geographer's Gaze project. This involved opening up some of the slides that are in the GA's collection.

I also visited several places connected with the GA.

I was unable to access the GA's archives because of COVID, and have still only managed about eight hours or so in the stacks down in the warehouse at Solly Street.

Please have a look through your photos and see whether you have any from old GA Conferences you attended back in the day... I'll keep the blog going and hopefully get back up to Solly Street some time to continue to fill in the gaps.

Thanks for reading.

Visits have increased dramatically in recent weeks, particularly from Singapore it seems.

Thanks Bob

A quick thanks to Bob Digby, who had his final Governing Body meeting recently after many years of supporting the Geographical Association as a trustee, named trustee and Honorary Treasurer.

Bob also served as President of the GA in 2012 of course.

Well, that’s it! Hanging up my @The_GA skates after 13 years on Gov Body. It’s been brilliant working with so many excellent trustees, & 2 CEOs. Promise yourself, #geographyteacher, that you’ll stand sometime for election & keep this great Association going strong. pic.twitter.com/787SasXnCn

— Bob Digby (@bobdigby) July 1, 2023

Bob's entry on the GA Presidents Blog that I wrote is here.

He is also an examiner and author of many books which will have helped young people to exam success.

A reminder of the collage that Anne Greaves made of some of Bob's many interests back in 2012.

We will see Bob at GA Conferences and supporting the GA in many other ways too of course.

Image: Bryan Ledgard

That’s it! 13 years on @The_GA Governing Body ends tonight. Thanks to an array of highly committed people, almost all of whom volunteered their time, with whom it’s been a privilege to work. It’s a fantastic organisation to work for!

— Bob Digby (@bobdigby) August 31, 2023

Bob Digby on Coffee and Geography

Bob Digby was the GA President in 2012.

Here he is talking to Kit Rackley.

GA Presidential election for 2024-5

According to this UCL research paper:

Figures from 2019 show that 85.6% of all teachers and 65.4% of pupils are currently from a White British background; in comparison, 78.5% of the working age population of England were recorded as White British in the 2011 census 

(UK Government, 2020).

To date, 100% of GA Presidents have been 'White British' (with the occasional French-born President, and others born overseas). 

This needs to change.

If you would like to be involved in changing this narrative, we are now looking for the next GA President after Denise Freeman, who will be President in 2023-4. 

Nominations need to be in by the 1st of November.

You will see that there are also some other vacancies which we would welcome applicants.