Emma's educational round-up
A weekly/fortnightly insight into developments within the realm of education.
My recommendations
News
The Hyundai Great British School Trip
There is still funding available to support school trips taking place this academic year.
Find out more and apply here: https://greatbritishschooltrip.com/bursary/
Outdoor Classroom Day
Join the global movement to make outdoor learning part of every child’s day. The Eden Project has a number of resources to support schools taking part in Outdoor Classroom Day on Thursday 21st May 2026 and enable them to bring fresh energy to learning this term.
https://www.edenproject.com/learn/schools/teaching-resources
Great Big Green Week led by The Climate Coalition, takes place between 6th and 14th June 2026. It is a fantastic opportunity for schools to take action on climate and nature. FREE, curriculum-linked resource packs are available for both primary and secondary schools. It is easy to get involved and support your school’s Climate Action Plan.
From eco clubs and student-led initiatives to classroom activities focused on sustainability, there are plenty of ways for young people to make a difference. Schools can also join exciting live events, including a virtual lesson with a school in Malawi in partnership with Save the Children UK and a special nature session with Steve Backshall and WWF-UK.
To receive a FREE resource pack and event details, sign up and take part in this inspiring national week of action: https://www.greatbiggreenweek.com/schools
Geographical Association (GA) blog
There is a lot of talk about green skills, green jobs and careers and geography at present. Teaching careers in geography by Rouna Ali is a 9-minute read, which explores embedding careers into geography lessons, empowering students to do their own careers exploration, doing your own careers research, salaries and job role outlines in career discussions and a homework task.
https://geography.org.uk/blogs/teaching-careers-in-geography/
Mark Enser has just released a very thought-provoking Substack post (‘Beyond Blooms: A framework for progression in geographical writing’), which is well worth a read for both primary and secondary educators and will certainly make you reflect on future assessment pieces that you set.
Website
Archie & Beans World Adventures
Archie & Beans World Adventures is a geography learning platform for those between 7–11 years that is built around a simple idea: putting the adventure back into geography lessons.
Through story-led videos, podcasts and educational resources, the platform brings countries, cultures, wildlife and environments to life for younger audiences, making geography feel engaging, accessible and full of wonder.
Now approaching 100 educational videos on YouTube, alongside downloadable resources and podcast content, Archie & Beans has grown into a resource used by families, homeschoolers and educators, with wider distribution through platforms including ClickView and Boclips. A recent milestone has been receiving official support from the Royal Geographical Society, an endorsement that reflects the platform’s educational ambition and quality.
At its heart, Archie & Beans encourages children to explore the world with curiosity, respect and wonder, while offering a fresh and adventurous way into geography for young learners. The videos are FREE to explore on YouTube, with additional resources available through the wider platform.
Resource
British Council: Commonwealth Games 2026 classroom resource pack
The Commonwealth Games classroom resource pack has been produced by the British Council in collaboration with the Youth Sport Trust. It is designed to celebrate the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, and the work that the Commonwealth is doing to improve the lives of its citizens. The pack contains a series of learning activities and supporting resources aimed at 7 to 11 year olds that teachers can use to raise awareness of the Commonwealth and its values, and help young people feel connected to the Games, their local community, country and the Commonwealth.
https://www.britishcouncil.org/commonwealth-games-2026-classroom-resource-pack
Book/s
Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie is available to purchase on Kindle for £0.99 throughout the month of May. Hannah was recently shortlisted for The Unwin Award ‘non-fiction authors in the earlier stages of their careers as authors whose work is considered to have made a significant contribution to the world’ and later went on to win the category (https://www.publishers.org.uk/our-work/the-unwin-award). The award came with a £10 000 prize, all of which Hannah has chosen to donate to the Against Malaria Foundation.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-End-World-Generation-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B0C3X6X695
Books for Keeps
This website belongs to the magazine of the same name, which is all about books aimed at young people. There are more than 12 500 reviews of books and popular authors are interviewed regularly as well.
Might give you some inspiration for new class reads or suggestions for holiday reading material.
Podcast/s
Two podcasts relating to energy and water, hugely topical themes and a component of many GCSE and A level specifications.
The Climate Question: Chernobyl at 40: Is nuclear power back in fashion?
In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear accident devastated the Soviet Union and shocked the world. But, 40 years on, are we now seeing a nuclear renaissance? And what does that mean for the climate?
Climate Question host Jordan Dunbar has just visited the most contaminated place in the world for a BBC World Service documentary. He tells co-host Graihagh Jackson about the ghostly atmosphere in the former Chernobyl control room and the huge dome that now covers the remains of the nuclear reactor that exploded.
Jordan and Graihagh also discuss how the disaster set back the nuclear power industry for decades. Now, however, nuclear is firmly back on the international agenda because of rising power demand and concerns about energy security.
With around 40 countries now aiming to build more nuclear power stations, what will this mean for the climate and the world’s goal of keeping global warming under control?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct99hc
More of Less: How much water does AI consume?
As Artificial Intelligence continues to expand rapidly, some people have raised concerns about its potential environmental impact - in particular its use of water, which is used to cool both data centres and the power generators that supply them with electricity.
One recent book on AI contained the alarming prediction that AI could consume between 4 and 6 trillion litres a year by 2027. Could this eye-popping figure be right? If not, what is the correct figure, and is it a big number?
The devil, as ever, is in the detail, and with the help of expert Alex de Vries-Gao, the More or Loss team has taken a deep dive to get to the truth about AI and water consumption.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n95zxd
TV programmes/movie clips
Race Across the World is now visiting some less familiar destinations, e.g. Kazakhstan; Uzbekistan. It has certainly opened my eyes to locations further afield and challenged my perceptions of place.
Watch the latest episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002vqvk/race-across-the-world-series-6-episode-5
App/tool/game
Post factum Data Boards
This was introduced to me by Iain Palôt. It appears to still be in its infancy, but it states that data boards will be released and updated regularly. There are interactive charts and maps that bring together the most relevant and recent data for you to explore hands-on. It could be a useful tool for analysis and research.
https://www.postfactum.co.uk/pro/data-boards
‘Geography in the news’
One for GCSE and A level students in particular …
How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific
This article focuses on Kiribati, a case study for many at GCSE and A level, where more than 70% of government revenues come from selling tuna fishing licenses to foreign fleets - the highest proportion of any country.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq57vxjvdy4o
CPD
Primary
Our next virtual Primary Geography Subject Leader Network (PGSLN) meeting will take place on Thursday 21st May 2026, from 9.00 am to 11.45 am. In addition to the usual ‘educational round-up’, this will reference key takeaways from the Geographical Association (GA) Annual Conference and Exhibition, particularly those related to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) and proposed changes and developments, plus ‘golden threads’, such as key concepts, fieldwork and climate change.
Further details and booking: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/virtual-primary-geography-subject-leader-network-pgsln-meeting-tickets-1985572608121
Secondary
South West Geography Conference
Have you reserved your FREE place yet? The line-up looks pretty good! Hope to see you there … do come and introduce yourself at the registration desk.
Booking link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/geography-southeast-teacher-conference-tickets-1984038304979?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Competition/challenge
Play 31 Challenge
Fields in Trust is a UK-wide independent charity that works to protect and improve parks, playgrounds, playing fields and green spaces for long term public use and to promote play.
As part of the UK Children’s Play Policy Forum, the charity is calling on schools to join the Play 31 Challenge and give children 31 more minutes of play for the International Day of Play on 11th June 2026.
Find out more about the Play 31 Challenge and how you can encourage your school to get involved: https://childrensplaypolicyforum.wordpress.com/the-united-nations-international-day-of-play/
Opportunities for pupils
Primary
Back due to demand and in recognition of #NationalFestivalofFieldwork2026. Only a few school spaces now left.
Secondary
If you attended the Geographical Association (GA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago and heard Ilan Kelman speak, then you know that Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 students and their teachers are in for a treat here … don’t miss it! More than 20 schools have already signed up.
Hope the above provides some inspiration and saves you time. Do let me know if you make use of any of the recommendations or have others that I have missed; I do love to hear about, and see evidence of, pupils in action both in and beyond the classroom.
Emma Espley