This evening, it was time to train governors at Huntley C of E Primary School in Gloucestershire (https://www.huntleyprimaryschool.co.uk/) all about Ofsted inspections on behalf of the Governor Services team at Gloucestershire County Council. Given the ongoing roadworks and bridge repairs along the A40 near Over, it was decided to opt for a virtual session to enable as many members of …
geography southwest conference goes for an upgrade!
Mid-June and time for the geography southwest Annual Conference, held, once again, at the University of the West of England (UWE) on the northern outskirts of Bristol, but today in a new venue, the Enterprise Park 1 building. Simon Ross, John Davidson, plus Dr Harry West and colleagues at UWE, had done a sterling job of pulling everything together. My …
Governor training: Roles and responsibilities
This afternoon, I made my way to Coberley C of E Primary School in Gloucestershire (https://coberleycoeprimary.co.uk/index.html) to deliver a two-hour training session for governors, entitled ‘roles and responsibilities‘, on behalf of Governor Services at Gloucestershire County Council. Sandra Shepherd, Educatuion Lead, Education Outcomes and Intervention at Gloucestershire County Council, also popped along as she was keen to see how the …
GlosGeog secures Professor Ilan Kelman to speak!
Professor Ilan Kelman‘s book, ‘Disaster by Choice‘, is one that is found in many a geography classroom around the world. As a result, this event, coordinated by GlosGeog (Gloucestershire’s local Geographical Association [GA] branch), proved to be very popular, with over 40 schools from the UK and mainland Europe opting to access the speaker session in real time or via …
Marking #NationalFestivalofFieldwork2026
GlosGeog, Gloucestershire’s local Geographical Association (GA) branch, felt that it should act as a role model and lead the way with a fieldwork activity to mark #NationalFestivalofFieldwork during the month of June. The following opportunity was offered FREE to schools, whether they were Geographical Association (GA)/GlosGeog members or not and located in and beyond Gloucestershire, to promote inclusivity and accessibility within geography. Today saw 10 schools and …
Virtual Primary Geography Subject Leader Network (PGSLN) meeting (3)
With Term 5 coming to a close, it was time for us all to meet up again, albeit virtually for our final Primary Geography Subject Leader Network (PGSLN) meeting of this academic year. We were a small group today as several of our regulars were involved in post-SATs treats/residentials, unable to secure cover to allow them to attend in real …
Geography GIS day
Today saw me head over to the University of Gloucestershire’s Francis Close Hall Campus in Cheltenham for a geography GIS day. GlosGeog, Gloucestershire’s local Geographical Association (GA) branch, had supported this event through sourcing input for two of the workshops and promotion. Whilst GlosGeog had been keen to organise a day earlier in the academic year, this was not feasible …
Time to be immersed in all things geographical!
Last week, I headed up north for the Geographical Association (GA) Annual Conference and Exhibition held at Sheffield College City Campus from 8th to 10th April 2026. The current GA President, Catherine Owen, had selected the theme, ‘Geography makes a difference‘. What a jam-packed and invigorating three days it was! Not only did I manage to catch up with many …
Time to get competitive!
GlosGeog‘s first event of Term 4 saw 14 teams from five schools competing in their annual GA WorldWise Quiz, once again hosted by Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Would Pate’s Grammar School manage to retain the shield for another year or might it be seized by another school? Following a formal welcome, introductions and housekeeping, I handed over to …
Virtual Primary Geography Subject Leader Network (PGSLN) meeting (2)
We are now well into Term 3, so it must be time for us all to meet up again, albeit virtually. On board today were over 30 individuals from schools across the UK, many regulars keen to come back for more, as well as a few newbies, who are always welcome. Mark Enser, former National Geography Lead for Ofsted and …