Feedback from the GA Annual Conference at Oxford Brookes
Committee memmbers, Layla Bray and Janet Neil reflect on their trip to 2025 GA Annual Conference at Oxford Brookes on behalf of the Bristol GA Committee..
Layla Bray (Trinity Academy, Bristol) reports on Day One: 15th April 2025
Attending the GA Conference was an enriching experience from start to finish. The day began with a vibrant exhibition hall full of engaging stalls showcasing the latest in geographical resources and education tools. It was exciting to see how much innovation is happening in the field—from interactive maps to curriculum-enhancing digital tools.
A highlight of the day was a fantastic conversation with the team from Esri UK (https://teachwithgis.co.uk/), who shared practical ideas about how GIS technology can be used meaningfully in schools. Their passion for making spatial thinking accessible to students was infectious, and I came away with fresh ideas to bring into the classroom.
In the afternoon, I joined a reflective outdoor session focused on Connecting to the geography of a single grid square. It was a grounding experience that reminded us of the importance of place-based learning and how even the smallest patch of Earth can tell a multitude of stories when viewed through a geographical lens.
The day concluded with the captivating keynote lecture, “The Whispers of Rock: Stories of the Earth”, delivered by Earth Scientist Dr. Anjana Khatwa (https://www.anjanakhatwa.com/). Her talk was both poetic and powerful, weaving together geology, human history, and personal narrative. She explored how rocks are not just background scenery but active storytellers—from the soils that grow our food to the minerals in our homes and even the coffee in our mugs.
Overall, the GA Conference offered a thoughtful blend of cutting-edge resources and meaningful discussions with other Geography fans from all over the country!
Janet Neil (Redmaids’ High School) reports on Day Two: 16th April 2025
The GA Conference every year is a golden opportunity to connect with the other like-minded geographers, thinking and speaking like a geographer all day with no interruptions! There is a range of workshops, teach meets and lectures that can be attended. All of these are design to make you reflect upon your own practice, and to think about what and how we deliver a wide range of topical knowledge so that it is accessible to all students.
The Rex Walford memorial lecture, What constitutes a good Geography education in a rapidly changing world by Dr Emma Rawlings Smith (Lecturer in Sustainability and Geography Education, Universiity of Southampton), made me realise how good geographers are as progressive thinkers and can make sense of the stories that landscapes are telling us. The power of connecting to place and implementing sustainability across all curriculum subjects in education, that matters to every pupil, is so important. This can be achieved on a small scale by beginning with enquiry activities within the school grounds, because pupils need to be curious about contemporary issues in which they live and learn about.
Other lectures highlighted why we need to engage all students with the ethical use of AI as a revision tool with ‘explain to me’ mode or consolidation of material by creating flashcards. This is an area that all practitioners need to engage with rapidly.
Building on Barbie: questioning as a method of improving female student engagement in geography by Sandra Patterson, Ulidia Integrated College, highlighted gender differences in learning and how teachers can adapt their approach and ask, what are the barriers to learning geography?
Other sessions covered how we use language in the teaching of physical geography, is it correct or inaccurate? Being connected with GIS and cross curricular climate strategies, initiatives and resources made me realise how such areas can be effectively used and integrated easily into teaching and learning with great impact.
The GA Conference is a great way to gain tailor-made inset in a short time. I came away with lots of ideas and thoughts to implement in the coming acadmic year. One of the best ways, of course, is to engaging with your local GA and use the great resources and advice on the GA website.