ISSIG SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2015

(Geography over the 2014-2015 academic year)

I have put together a few pointers from the year and thank you all for the support and all the news you have passed on. This is my last Summer Newsletter as I will be stepping down after 21 years as Secretary and as the Chair of the Independent School’s Special Interest group of the GA. When I first was in these roles it was the Independent School’s Working Group but some years ago we became a Special Interest Group. At the Derby GA Conference I will be retiring, although I will still be a member of the GA and will be no doubt keeping my interest for GA Conferences and events. Peter Price (Head of Geography at Charterhouse) will be Chair from April 2016 and Rob Morris who is a long standing member of the GA and who teaches at will be taking over the Administration Role after the derby Conference. Rob for the last three years has edited Notes and Queries. I have attached a copy with this in case you did not receive one in April after the Manchester Conference.

This past year has been a busy one as the ISSIG has been involved in helping the GA and the RGS with all the developments with the new A Levels and the new GCSE’s. My role as an RGS Council member and part of the RGS Education committee was also a plus as well as my role on the GA Education group allowed me I hope to keep you abreast of all that was happening over the year with the new exams. I came off Council following my 3 year term last month and David Anderson (Head of Geography at Eton) has been appointed to RGS Council and education Committee. I know he will keep in touch with Peter Price where appropriate to allow all Independent School Geography teachers informed of all relevant information for Independent Schools.

So what news from 2014/2015:

Here is a brief summary:

 The ISSIG were part of the 2014-2019 GA Strategic Plan with the 2009 GA Manifesto underpinning the Strategic Plan.  The New National Curriculum provided a good framework for KS1 and KS2 teaching in Independent Schools and the new Common Entrance Geography curriculum took the KS3 curriculum into account. Simon Lewis, the CE Lead setter made himself available to advise Prep Schools.  The year has seen the development of the programmes of study of both the GCSE and the A Level programmes of Study.  Interest in Geography at IB, CIE and PRE U has continued to grow in the Independent sector.  I attended the Meeting for Geography Teachers and will be at the Haileybury Group Meeting in July while Peter Price attended the meeting and will be at the Trinity Group Meeting in a few days time  The new Fieldwork Individual Projects for A Level has caused a good deal of discussion and with this as part of the A Level Geography programme of Study the next academic year will see significant fieldwork planning. ( Keep an eye out for all the help from the Year of Fieldwork 2015-2016)  Nick Lapthorn, Head of the FSC Centre at Nettlecombe Field Study Centre has been elected as Junior Vice President of the GA for 2015-2016. Nick has been a great friend to many Independent School groups over the years.  The GA has expanded their Geography resources and many of these are appropriate for Prep Schools at KS1 and KS2 and for Common Entrance Geography. Also the new GCSE and A Level GA resources have been planned with the new GCSE and A Level programmes of study in mind and many of the present GCSE Toolkits and Top Spec Geography books are very relevant resources too for these new programmes of study.  John Widdowson has produced a completely new edition of Geography for Common Entrance .The best book for the new Common Entrance in my opinion. As well as this book being published by Hodder Education, they have also taken Galore Park publications under their wing.  The Global Learning Programme has been taken on board by a number of independent Schools.  GA Branches have provided 300 events which have seen many Independent School pupils attending events.  A number of Prep Schools and Senior Independent Schools have been awarded Primary and Secondary Quality Marks and more than ever before Independent School’s signed in the booklet at the ISSIG desk at GA Conference in Manchester in April.  At the Conference the ISSIG supported a Lecture on Making an Impact through Fieldwork and a Workshop following this. Both were well attended.  ISSIG has run/supported a series of CPD days at City of London Freemans School, , Charterhouse, Oakham and . They have also supported the IAPS Geography District Co-ordinators with CPD events taking place in the Districts on a variety of Geography Teaching themes. These were hosted by Solefield School in Sevenoaks, Castle Court School in Hampshire, Lochinver House School in Potters Bar, King’s School Wimbledon, King’s School, Ely.  We ran with the University of Newcastle two free GIS Days for teachers at Charterhouse and at Radley College.  In February 2015 I attended my 18th ‘Charney Manor Primary Conference’ in Charney Bassett. The theme this year was ‘developing Primary Geography’ This is a very important date in my Calendar as it allows me to be kept up to date with many aspects of the Primary Geography curriculum and research which as IAPS adviser to Geography allows me to be in a position to advise Prep Schools on their geography curriculum. Thank you to the IAPS for their support in me attending this Conference.  Recent News from EDEXCEL The Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Geography is the International GCSE equivalent taken by some maintained sector schools in the UK. Earlier this year, Nick Gibb (Minister of State for School Reform) announced that it won’t be possible to redevelop the current Level 1/Level 2 Certificate in Geography for inclusion in performance tables from 2018 onwards. N.B. This announcement does not affect Edexcel International GCSE in Geography being delivered in UK independent schools and international centres but the above might be of interest to you.  Many independent Schools are now using Digimap. It is now used totally by over 2100 schools in the UK and ISSIG recommend to any Independent Schools who do not use it to get hold of it. The biggest growth over 2014/2015 has been among Primary Schools.  As IAPS Geography Adviser I took part in the IAPS National Curriculum Day for Prep Schools in November 2014 where all delegates present received a copy of the excellent GA document on Assessing Geography and the Levels.  The GA has also produced a research report on geography initial teacher education and teacher supply in England. The report considers the impact of changes to ITE in England since 2010 and the effects this has had on quality and quantity of geography teachers being trained to work in English schools. Copies can be downloaded from http://geography.org.uk/news/papersandresponses/.

For 2015/2016.

One or two things to watch out for IN 2015/2016

 The Year of Fieldwork events.

 Look at GA Branch programmes in your area.  GA CPD and ISSIG meetings in your areas. Two FOR Prep School Teachers already in the Calendar: Tuesday November 17th ISSIG GA CPD Day: ‘Geography and Sustainability’ at . Presenters; Gyles Morris and Paul Baker (This will be for Prep School teachers from Year 4 to Year 6 and is a repeat of the one held in the RGS IN March 2014.) On Thursday 19th November ‘The National IAPS Geography Conference – ‘Teaching and Creating a Geographical Rich Learning Environment’: presenters Alan Parkinson, Gyles Morris and Paul Baker. (book through the IAPS) For teachers of KS2, KS 3 and Common Entrance. N.B. But many others already are planned including ones in Radley, Oakham, Canterbury, Charterhouse, Sheffield and Oxford and many other locations.

Paul Baker. Chair of ISSIG of GA. JUNE 2015