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Branches
Welcome to the Branches pages. Currently there are nearly 40 Branches affiliated to the Geographical Association in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Each Branch arranges its own local programme of events for the benefit of the geographical community in the area. Programmes can include:
Lectures of general geographical interest
Enthusiastically supported sixth form conferences
Teachers' day conferences
Primary in-service training workshops
Wine tasting evenings
Field excursions
Worldwise local quiz
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Subscriptions to join local Branches, or entrance fees for individual events, are often set at very low levels.
Many Branches welcome involvement in their decision-making and planning, so if the support you feel you need is not available locally, do talk to the Branch Secretary about the possibility of joining the committee.
If there is no information about a Branch in your area, please contact Frances Soar. At present there is no Branch in the Leeds area. If you are interested in helping to set up a GA Branch in Leeds, please contact Frances Soar.
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GA Branches come in all shapes and sizes. In Belfast, 400+ students turning out to top up their geography is not unusual. In Watford, the local Branch is currently regrouping. Some Branches maintain links between school and HE geography brilliantly, although few have catered for primary geography.
This year, the President Bill Chambers has visited most of them (There is still time if he has not yet been to your neck of the woods.)
GA Council has agreed it wants to promote all manner of Branch activity – there is no ‘template’. To set up a local Branch is remarkably easy (e-mail Frances Soar or telephone on 0114 296 0088). The moment is right to catch the new wave of Branch activity – dedicated to supporting geography teaching and learning in the locality.
For example, virtually all the new Humanities Specialist Schools with geography named as one of the lead subjects have endorsed the idea that they should form new GA Branches. This would enable the school to hold developmental meetings in partnership with neighbouring secondary schools and the ‘family’ of local primary schools.
The GA has arranged that for around £300 such a Branch can buy ten passwords (for one year) for the OU/BBC Teach and Learn online CPD materials. Several GA members have been party to producing these – at present only available by whole school or LEA subscription. They can form the basis for sustained, cross-phase curriculum and teacher development. Of course, such local, autonomous work is further supported by the new GA Handbooks (the Secondary Handbook will be published later in 2005).
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| Professional Library Starter Packs |
These packs, containing up-to-date books and materials, are available to schools fulfilling the following criteria:
They must be a humanities specialist college, with geography as the lead subject
They must undertake to set up a new wave local branch
They must have facilities to accommodate the library
For more information about the packs please contact us.
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