Emma's educational round-up
A weekly/fortnightly insight into developments within the realm of education.
Thank you for continuing to post the Substack round-ups - they are very useful indeed! (Subscriber)
Nice one! Thanks, Emma. (Subscriber)
My recommendations
News
My daughter’s school, Sir Thomas Rich’s School in Gloucester, received their Ofsted report last week following their inspection in mid-December 2025. It was interesting to see what the new report card and accompanying report look like, and one that they should be rightly proud of. Well done all!
https://strschool.co.uk/news/Ofsted-Report-/fcb199a9-1289-4b01-b122-07f3a8290970
Geographical Association (GA) blog
You cannot beat a good story! Have a read of Jon Cannell’s short blog post, ‘Stories as starters’, for a spot of inspiration. Why not have a go yourself?
https://ga-blog.org/2026/02/03/stories-as-starters/
Website
SEA LIFE
In this article, Ruth Astley explains how SEA LIFE's marine conservation resources can inspire pupils via hands-on classroom activities. She discusses how SEA LIFE’s online resources, including its Conservation Classroom and Friends of the Sea campaign, have become game-changers for her, providing a bridge between the classroom and the captivating world beneath the waves. Many have strong links with geography, as well as science.
https://www.teachwire.net/products/conservation-resources-sustainability-sea-life/
Resource
Ian Gilbert’s ‘32 questions to help them think’ certainly encourages you to reflect upon the questions that you ask youngsters in the classroom. Are you really challenging pupils to think deeply and critically?
https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/resources/32-questions-to-help-them-think/
Book
Future Vision by Cathy Rogers and Madeleine Rogers, aimed at those aged 8 to 12 years, injects a degree of positivity about the future.
Green is the New Black!
Children are taken on a journey into the year 2070 to a world transformed by technology, sustainability, and global initiatives.
From traffic-free cities and carbon-free energy to eco-friendly homes and developments in space exploration, readers are invited to imagine the possibilities.
This book is filled with:
An optimistic, science-based take on our future world
A narrative non-fiction approach
Illustrated timelines that show various elements of life
Beautifully illustrated visualisations show key developments in each subject area, including space, homes, food, wellbeing, transport and energy.
Contents include:
Transport
Wildlife
Homes
Artificial Intelligence
Energy
Written as a positive exploration of life in the future, the book aims to inspire children to dream of the bright future they can help create.
Podcast/s
Geographical Association (GA) podcast: GeogPod
Episode #98: Dr Edward Armston Sheret – Refiguring historical exploration and discovery
In this episode of the podcast, John talks to Dr Edward Armston Sheret, historical geographer and researcher in the field of travel and exploration. They discuss the themes of his book, ‘On the Backs of Others: Rethinking the History of British Geographical Exploration’, which unpicks the narratives of exploration and heroism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to reveal the hidden figures of historical expedition and the unsettling colonial heritage of famous explorers.
Find out more about Edward here: https://www.edarmston-sheret.com/
Read his book here: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496230973/on-the-backs-of-others/
The Climate Question: How hot could the planet get?
We know the planet is getting hotter because of human-induced climate change. But just how hot could it get?
In this show, Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar chat to Nasa scientist, Kate Marvel, about the world of climate modelling. Kate has spent decades trying to work out what will happen to the Earth as emissions of carbon dioxide increase.
Although the basic facts of climate change are settled, climate modellers are trying to understand how photosynthesis by plants will change in a warmer world. And they’re also puzzling over the crucial role played by clouds!
Recently, Kate has written Human Nature, a book about how climate change affects our emotions - from grief and anger to hope and love. She says the wide range of feelings prompted by global warming are compatible with getting the science right.
Presenter: Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar.
Production Team: Nik Sindle, Diane Richardson, Brenda Brown.
Sound engineer: Phil Bull and Tom Brignell.
Editor: Simon Watts.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct7034
Reboot the Future podcast shares short, very human conversations with people who stay curious, lead with their values and choose courage, even when others call them naïve. Episodes offer gentle inspiration for your teaching and hopeful moments you can enjoy in your own time.
Tune in here: https://podcast.rebootthefuture.org/
TV programme/movie clip
Met. Office
One to watch if you are currently studying weather and climate.
What is the difference between a weather forecast and a climate projection?
Weather forecasts and climate projections are very different things. In a nutshell, a weather forecast provides an assessment of the weather over the next few days for a given area. A climate projection aims to provide an indication of the weather and weather extremes associated with a particular future climate over decades to centuries into the future.
You can find out more about the differences as well as the accuracy of both weather forecasts and climate projections on our website.
App/game
The educational game CoastCraft, which aims to help children from the ages of 9 to 14 years learn more about the threats facing the coast from climate change and rising sea levels, recently won the 2026 BETT Award for the Secondary – Digital Learning Product category.
CoastCraft was developed in partnership by the Environment Agency, Microsoft and Cornwall Council as part of the Making Space for Sand project from the Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme (FCIP). FCIP is designed to drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate from authorities, businesses and communities.
Winning the 2026 BETT Award for Secondary Digital Learning Product marks a significant milestone, confirming CoastCraft’s status as a world-class educational product.
If you have not explored this game yet, then now is the time to do so!
https://education.minecraft.net/en-us/lessons/coastcraft
‘Geography in the news’
Hundreds of illegal waste tips operating in England - including 11 ‘super sites’ includes drone footage to show the scale of an illegal waste dump in Over, Gloucestershire and an annotated map of other significant sites within the UK.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1ev4yg1j1lo
CPD
*ONLY A COUPLE OF TICKETS NOW LEFT*
Details about the next virtual Primary Geography Subject Leader Network (PGSLN) meeting with a guest appearance from Mark Enser can be viewed here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/virtual-primary-geography-subject-leader-network-pgsln-meeting-tickets-1977730390838.
Hope you are able to join us to hear updates about the new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR), plus consider what ‘writing like a geographer’ implies and the development of subject-specific vocabulary.
Competition/challenge
As mentioned in a previous Substack newsletter, 2026 is the National Year of Reading. World Book Day takes place on 5th March 2026. There are various competitions promoted here with differing deadline dates: https://www.worldbookday.com/competitions/
Opportunities for pupils
Don’t miss taking part in this if you are in or close to Gloucestershire. Always an enlightening and entertaining afternoon/evening, with some healthy competition and welcome refreshments!
Empathy Week (9th to 13th March 2026)
This year’s theme is ‘My Culture, Your Culture, Our Culture’, which supports meaningful conversations around identity, belonging and connection. Schools worldwide can access a completely FREE week of events, films and classroom resources to help students between the ages of 5 and 18 years build the skill of empathy. Register your school here: https://www.empathyweek.org/register2026
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