Whatever happened to the Geography Pages?

At the PTI earlier in the week, a colleague from Norfolk asked about my GeographyPages and what happened to it.

This was one of the most visited geography websites in the world for a while... when there weren't many out there...

As it happens, in 2013, I decided I wasn't going to update it further and move to concentrate on my blogs - particularly this one.

Check out the various activities that Rich organises, which includes a range of websites...

International Geography Training - iGCSE Geography - with Matt Podbury and me

Last year, I was the Series Editor of a new book published by Collins for the Cambridge iGCSE Geography syllabus (0460). 

This was for the newly updated version of the syllabus, which put the content back into Human and Physical Geography examinations and changed the nature of the skills element of the assessment. 

I ensured that there were new contexts and case studies which were not the 'usual' ones. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

The book is accompanied by a Workbook and a Teacher Guide to help explain how to teach the course.

My own school offers the iGCSE Geography, and my colleague Matt Norbury was very useful when scoping out the book's structure, and my colleague Claire Kyndt was one of the authoring team.

Please take a look at the book if you are teaching this specification - there are a lot of people who do in countries across the world, and this is worth adopting for your classroom. Why not buy a copy to see whether it's a good fit for your school?

The iGCSE Geography course is very popular globally as I said, but there are relatively few CPD opportunities for teachers who teach the course.

Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury both work in international schools which offer the specification are organising a series of courses for iGCSE Geography. They have over 35 years of teaching experience between them.

Richard runs the website GeographyalltheWay.

Matt runs the website GeographyPods.

They have teamed up to create International Geography Training. This offers webinars and other sessions.

The full range of courses that they are offering can be seen here.

They have brought in various experts to co-run some of the courses for the 2026-2027 academic year, including Jonathan Butcher from the British School of Milan.

In December, Matt Podbury and I are running a course together designed for teachers who are about to teach the course for the first time, but which would also be useful for anyone who is relatively new to the new syllabus - which is most teachers.

It's a way off yet, but worth getting in your diaries.

Details here:

Booking details are here.

The first of two 90-minute sessions is led by Matt and focuses on adapting your delivery for the new Cambridge 0460/0976 syllabus. He works through what has changed and what has stayed the same between 2026 and 2027, sequencing decisions and pace of delivery, doorstep geography opportunities and case studies, free online IGCSE Geography resources, and planning fieldwork visits with effective fieldwork questions.

The second session brings views and key advice from textbook author Alan Parkinson. Discover the print and online resources that work hardest for the new course, the case studies that bring it to life, and practical ways to embed the ‘and sustainable’ requirement across your curriculum rather than treating it as a bolt-on.

Leave with a clear opening-months roadmap, vetted resources, and practical answers to the questions every first-time IGCSE Geography teacher meets.

It's organised so that it is accessible to people in different key locations around the world.

See you there?

International Geography Training

The latest batch of sessions organised by Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury have now been made available on their website.

There will be six online workshops between the end of August 2025 and May 2026, which can be booked individually or as an ‘any three’, ‘any four’ or ‘all six’ bundle.

Each workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions and then the opportunity to have a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with either Richard or Matt to focus on your specific topic of interest and questions.

The workshops will happen on Saturdays, so most of you will not need to find cover for your classes. They will run from 10h00 CET to 13h30 CET, so you have enough time for a lie-in and a lazy breakfast, and everything is finished in time for a late lunch.

Saturday 30th August 2025 – Surviving the first months as a DP Geography Teacher

Saturday 27th September 2025 – Adapting to the new CIE IGCSE Geography 0460 Syllabus

Saturday 1st November 2025 – Making it matter for your students

Saturday 29th November 2025 – Using generative AI as a Geography Teacher

Saturday 7th March 2026 – Getting your students exam-ready

Saturday 9th May 2026 – Big things that your students need to write

The duo have a new Tom Morgan Jones logo inking too, which is always a mark of quality.

If you have a Whole School subscription to both geographyalltheway.com and ibgeographypods.org, you can get a 10% discount.

All the details can be found on the link here.

International Geography Training - new for 2025

A new venture, and one I can certainly get behind...

Two legends of international geography teaching, resource creation and training in the same virtual space: Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury have teamed up to offer some special support for teachers in international schools / teaching international qualifications.

Their new website and opportunity is now live.

They will start their new enterprise by offering three online workshops between now and May 2025, which can be booked individually or as an ‘all three bundle’.

Each workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions and then the opportunity to have a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with either Richard or Matt to focus on your specific topics of interest and questions.

The workshops will happen on Saturdays, so most of you will not need to find cover for your classes. They will run from 10h00 CET to 13h30 CET, so you have enough time for a lie-in and a lazy breakfast, and everything is finished in time for a late lunch.

The workshops focus on the training needs of international geography teachers, especially those teaching IB DP Geography and IGCSE Geography.

Head to the website to find out more.

Practical Pedagogies 2024 - Early Bird tickets available

The third running of the Practical Pedagogies conference will take place in November 2024. The first two events were rather great - one in Toulouse and one in Cologne.

This event will take place in Cologne once again.

The keynote speaker who will bookend the event is Hywel Roberts. He was awesome. His book 'Bothereredness' has been published since the last event, when he was sharing some of the ideas behind it, and comes highly recommended.

You can find out how to get your Early Bird ticket and also see the full programme (subject to the addition of other sessions) on the link above as well. There are over 120 sessions. They are all presented by teachers / educators, sharing what they do with colleagues. You will see session from Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury and quite a few other familiar names here.

My session is here, as described. It will take place on the 1st day of the conference.

Early Bird tickets available in limited quantities which are 100 Euros cheaper than the normal price.

Discover Iceland with Richard and Matt

Discover the World are organising an exciting-sounding CPD event in Iceland in June which involves Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury.

This is designed for those teaching (or preparing to teach) international qualifications.


Day 1 - 29th June 2019

Arrive in Keflavik and head to the Hafnarfjordur area for your overnight stay.

Day 2 – 30th June 2019

8.00 – 8.15 Welcome from Discover the World Education from our travel specialist, Beverley Cameron.

8.15 – 10.15 The Physical Geography of Iceland, lecture by Professor Chris Davies.

10.15 – 10.30 coffee break

10.30 – 12.30 workshops by Matt Podbury and Richard Allaway

12.30 – 20.00 Tour of Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle guided by Chris Davies including stops at Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and a few hidden gems.

Overnight in Selfoss area




Day 3 - 1st July 2019

Depart hotel at 8am for an exciting tour of Iceland including:
Visit to the geothermal town of Hveragerdi
View two of Iceland’s most remarkable waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss
Discover the incredible Solheimajokull glacier
Explore the black sand beaches at Reynisfjara
Witness Iceland’s newest spectacle; the Icelandic Lava Show.

You’ll head back to Keflavik for your last night before returning home on the morning of the 2nd July.

Go here to find out more, and book your place.
Will be jealous of all those going along, as a few days in such good company in such an amazing place will be a perfect way to set up the summer...

And if you then book a trip you will get the money back, so think of it as an "inspection visit with benefits..."

IB course with Richard Allaway

A rare chance to work with Richard Allaway of Geography all the Way fame, on an IB Geography course in the UK takes place in 3 weeks time.
The course is held at Heathrow Airport, and is on a Saturday so no cover needed (probably)

Details and booking information here.

New GA course for IB Geography

A new course for 2013 - Richard Allaway of Geography all the Way fame amongst (many) other things, will be coming over to London in June to run a course for the Geographical Association.
The course is called 'Developing a Curriculum for IB Diploma Programme Geography'

Course overview

This course will bring International Baccalaureate DP Geography teachers together with the aim of discussing and sharing ideas about structuring, resourcing and delivering the 240 hours of teaching necessary for the higher level course. You will leave with fresh ideas, plans for the new academic year and access to a range of online resources.

Delegate reviews of similar courses

'It was fantastic, questions answered and more!'

'Spot on - directly relevant to the course. Excellent communicator!'

Prices

Registration fees include all course materials, refreshments and lunch.

GA Personal/Group/Concessionary Member: £180
New Member Package*: £279
Non-member: £300

*Includes course fee and one year's GA membership for your school.

Aims and outcomes

• Consider the 'perfect' IB DP lesson - does it include links to the syllabus, a bit of Theory of Knowledge, some geographical skills, exam practice and even some enjoyment?
• Look at the teaching of the IB DP Geography course's higher level content - Global Interactions.
• Review how we are supporting students throughout the duration of the course by coaching their exam technique, linking the content together, trying to get them to think more like geographers and IB students and discussing where the Internal Assessment fits in.
• Find out about some of the online tools that can be used to support IB DP Geography students.

Course programme

09.00-09.30  Coffee and registration

09.30-11.00  Session 1 - a lesson

What does a 'perfect' DP lesson look like? Thinking about developing textbook resources into engaging lessons tailored to your students' needs.

11.00-11.15  Refreshment break

11.15-12.45  Session 2 - a unit

Focusing on the Global Interactions higher level content. Case studies, approaches, helping your students to be 'higher level' and coaching their extended response writing skills.

12.45-13.30  Lunch

13.30-15.30  Session 3 - the whole course

Supporting students during their 240 hours of DP Geography. Using online tools to help encourage reading and geographical thinking for these busy students.

15.30  Close

Course presenter

Richard Allaway, Teacher of Humanities and IB DP Geography at the International School of Geneva - Campus des Nations. Author of geographyalltheway.com

Vital Teachshare with Richard Allaway

I'm grateful to Richard Allaway, creator of Geography all the Way for joining my VITAL CPD Teachshare last night.

Vital Teachshare 29th May

View more presentations from GeoBlogs.

There were two main websites referred to:

Richard's site: Geography all the Way
The blog post that Richard referred to while we were talking.

Thanks to Richard, you can get a free 48 hour trial of the site (from the morning of the 29th of May onwards) by entering the username: vital and the password: vital when prompted. Enough for you to see what good value the site is.

Finally, click this link to watch a repeat of the session, which lasted about 40 minutes.


I shall let you know when the next Teachshares are being held...