Practical Pedagogies 2026

One of the most inspiring events in 2026 will be the latest running of Practical Pedagogies. This is returning to where it started: the International School of Toulouse and is once again being organised by Russel Tarr. I’ve presented at every one so far. Unfortunately, this is in term time for me, so I won’t be able to attend, but it comes highly recommended if you can make it there - cheap flights are available from the UK to Toulouse airport.

Here’s Russ’s Call for Sessions, which is NOW OPEN! I’m delighted to announce the launch of Practical Pedagogies 2026 and warmly invite new, early-career, and experienced educators to submit session proposals focused on:

✔️ Resources and strategies that work in real classrooms
✔️ Practical approaches you’ve refined — even if you’re still refining them
✔️ Honest reflections on teaching, learning, and leadership

🗓️ Practical Pedagogies 2026 — BY teachers, FOR teachers
📍 International School of Toulouse, France
📅 Thursday 15 & Friday 16 October 2026
🎤 Keynote address by Ian Gilbert, internationally renowned educator on creativity and curiosity
🔗 Website: www.pracped.net

👉 New to presenting? You are absolutely welcome.
👉 Experienced presenter or subject expert? We’d love to learn from you too.

Submit a session proposal at www.pracped.net before the end of January.

GA Conference - 2026 programme now published

The price will rise in the New Year, so secure yours now. 

And you'll have a chance to see a double-act with me and Matt Podbury - worth the price alone! See you in Sheffield!

You can now browse the programme here... this session looks awesome.

Sign up to Sched to schedule in your events... 

Time to nominate someone for an OS award

Back in 2008 I was proud to receive one of two OS Awards for Excellence in Secondary Geography Teaching awarded each year by the Royal Geographical Society. The other award that year went to Louise Ellis.

Image: the RGS HQ - Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license

It's time for nominations for all the RGS's awards for 2026, and that includes the OS Award as well. 

Do you have colleague who is particularly amazing and deserves some recognition for all they do for the geography subject community?
Perhaps they are your Head of Department, a member of your department or faculty, a fellow committee member, or someone you look to online for support, inspiration and resources.

Why not nominate them for a Royal Geographical Society teaching award?

Each year, the RGS acknowledges two teachers or educators through our Ordnance Survey Award for excellence in geography education at secondary level.

Nominations for 2026 close on 16 February, so be sure to get your nominations in before then!

The process is described here.

And there's a list of previous recipients on the RGS website so that you can check that they haven't already been given one... although I suppose there's no reason they couldn't be the first person to receive more than one.... 

There's some illustrious names on that list, and I know almost everyone there, and have worked with many of them in some way.

Geography SE Conference

Geography SouthWest has had a free teacher conference for some years...and now here's Geography SouthEast.

The first Geography Southeast teacher conference on Monday 29th June 2026 at Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey in conjunction with Geography Southwest.

Free entry to teachers.

This event will tap into key themes and skills in the geography curriculum, through keynote lectures, a selection of exciting and informative workshops and a room full of exhibitors, including publishers, exam boards and travel companies.

Watch this space for booking details and further updates.

RGS Eastern Region Christmas Social

The major event for RGS members and others in the East of England is also coming up in a few weeks’ time. I serve on the committee for this RGS local group and we organise lectures and talks through the course of the year.

On Wednesday December 10th, we are very pleased to say that the current Royal Geographical Society President: Professor Dame Jane Francis will be addressing our RGS East annual event on the topic of ‘On Thin Ice, a Life in the Antarctic’. 

The event will be held at Norwich School at the Refectory - a more spacious venue just round the corner from the Blake Studio where the sessions are normally held, with the same free parking. 

Doors will open at 7.00 with mulled wine awaiting you. Dame Jane’s talk will start at 7.30 and there will be more wine / soft drinks and plenty of delicious ‘finger food’ after her talk.

Dame Jane Francis will be talking about her own life in polar research while also covering the cutting-edge research now being done in Cambridge, including the threat to the Antarctic ice shelf, a major potential climate change tipping point. This work is both fascinating and vitally important. Jane Francis is Director of British Antarctic Survey. In 2017 she was appointed Dame (DCMG) in recognition of services to UK polar science and diplomacy. She became Chancellor of the University of Leeds in 2018, and was elected President of the Royal Geographical Society in 2024. She also serves on the European Polar Board and co-chairs the Atlantic Treaty’s Working Group on Science and Operations. Her own research focuses on understanding past climate change during both greenhouse and icehouse periods, particularly in the polar regions, the areas on Earth most sensitive to climate change.

There is a charge of £12 for non-RGS members, and £8 for members. 

If you haven’t already registered and wish to join us, please register in good time at www.rgs.org/events. 

Please also encourage young people to come - and be inspired by Jane Francis’s remarkable life in the coldest areas of the planet.

I shall see you there - probably serving mulled wine and taking some photos...

Geography Teacher Educators' Conference 2026

The venue and more details have now been announced for the Geography Teacher Educators' (GTE) Conference for 2026.

It will be hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University.

To sign up and for more details, follow the link.

RGS Secondary Geography Teachmeet - February 2026

Claire Brown is organising another RGS Teachmeet for geography teachers in February 2026.

There are 6 slots available for an 8 minute talk on a topic of your choice.

Claire says:

"I'd really like to open this speaker opportunity up to teachers of geography who are perhaps new to the profession, or have been teaching a while but have never shared with others via CPD like this. Why not give it a go?"

Please sign up or I'll have to, and nobody needs to listen to me again...