Geographical Association

Charles is Geography PGCE Course Leader at Edge Hill
 University. He previously worked as Head of Geography in a large 11-18
 comprehensive in North East Lincolnshire.

His main research interests
 lie in curriculum innovation in school geography and the links between school and academic geography.

He has published extensively on geography
 education. Most recently, he has edited a three volume collection
 Contemporary approaches to Geography published Autumn 2010. Other recent publications have been: Reading our
 Landscapes: Understanding changing geographies (Chris Kington Publishing, 2007) and Understanding Place as a Process (Geographical
 Association, 2007).

Melanie taught in schools in London and East Sussex for 20 years and had various roles including Head of Geography, Head of Year and Assistant Head. She is currently PGCE (Secondary) Programme Leader at the University of Brighton and Subject Route Leader for PGCE (Secondary) Geography.

Melanie is an active member of the Geographical Association sitting on committees at both local and national levels, and she is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Research has included pupils' perception of the school geography curriculum; issues of KS2/KS3 transition in geography; fieldwork at KS3 and the construction of the KS3 geography curriculum in schools.

Elaine is a Learning and Teaching / AfL Consultant for Lancashire.

She began teaching geography in Suffolk before moving to Lancashire and teaching in two comprehensive schools. Elaine became Head of Geography and later, one of the first advanced skills teachers. In that role she was responsible for L&T and supported Geography Departments across Lancashire. Now her role is more generic, supporting in the development of L&T in any subject area.

Elaine has been a member of the Geographical Association for many years and has assisted in such activities as cross-referencing National Strategy materials with GA materials. She has also co-written support materials on 'Developing literacy in geography'.

Fran is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter. She trains primary school teachers and specialises in primary geography and Early Years.

During her early career she became interested in development education and this has continued to be a keen interest through her associations with the World Studies Trust and Birmingham's Tide~ (Teachers in Development Education) Global Learning centre. She is currently leading a research project called 'Global Partnerships as sites of Mutual Learning: Teachers' professional development through study visits'.

Fran, like most geographers, loves the outdoors. Her pursuits are walking the dogs on the Blackdown Hills, Somerset, boogie boarding off the coasts of Pembrokeshire, Gower and North Devon, and gardening.

After teaching in comprehensive schools in London, Leicester and Sheffield, Margaret became co-ordinator of the University of Sheffield PGCE geography course from 1982 until her retirement in 2006.

She is currently External Examiner for geography PGCE courses at the Open University and the University of London Institute of Education.

The main focus of her research has been on the geography national curriculum and on geographical enquiry. Her book, Learning through Enquiry was published by the Geographical Association in 2003.

She has been involved in the work of the GA for many years, on committees, steering groups of projects, as Editor of Teaching Geography and in 2008-2009 as President.

Martin is the Headteacher of Ossett School and also National Leader in Education. He started his teaching career in Sheffield and became Head of Geography in two Sheffield Comprehensive Schools. Before moving to Deputy Headship he spent a short period of time as a teacher educator in a lecturing position at the University of Sheffield.

Martin has also supported the Geographical Association over a number of years initially as honorary Library and Information Officer and in more recent years serving on the Governing Body.

He wrote a series of KS3 Geography text books in the 1990s along with numerous articles for the GCSE Wideworld Magazine.

Andrea taught geography in secondary schools and as a teacher trainer at Newman College in Birmingham. She developed an interest in the use of information technology in geography in the 1980s and became humanities co-ordinator for the National Council for Educational Technology. In 1991 she joined HMI and worked in Ofsted's Teacher Education team until she retired in 2006.

She has been an enthusiastic GA member throughout her career, and has served on the ICT Working Group and Education Committee. She maintains her interest in geographical education in her retirement as well as spending time on her narrowboat, cruising the canals throughout Britain.

Adam is currently Principal Teacher of KS5 at Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre, Kent. He is a former Head of Geography where he led his department to be awarded the GA Secondary Quality Mark Centre of Excellence. Adam was the founder of the Geography at the Movies website.

Emma has taught for 18 years in primary schools as far apart as Eastleigh in Hampshire and Brunei Darussalam in south east Asia. She is currently Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Winchester working on both the BA (QTS) and PGCE programmes and specialising in professional studies and geography.

Emma has been an active member of the Geographical Association since completing her initial degree and served on the Early Years & Primary Committee for a number of years. She has also been editor of GA Magazine and co-edited the SuperSchemes series. Most recently she has co-authored one of the new Primary Toolkit books: Neighbourhood Watch: Investigating the world on our doorstep which will be published in the summer of 2011.

Her current research interests include undergraduates' perceptions and feelings about geography and the 'identities' associated with geography and geographers.

Chris has a wide range of experience in teacher education gathered during his long teaching career throughout which he has been a member of the GA.

Chris began his teaching in East Sussex and became Professional Tutor at Hailsham Community College. He established links with the University of Sussex PGCE Geography programme where he shared the teaching with Dr Tony Binns. Chris then established the PGCE secondary geography course at Canterbury Christ Church University and developed the geography mentor network across Kent.

He has written articles for Teaching Geography and was co-editor, with Dr Tony Binns, of 'Issues in Geography Teaching' (Routledge). More recently, Chris has been a Director of Teaching and Learning at Bethany School in Kent and is now self-employed as an education consultant.

David was the PGCE Geography tutor at Newcastle University from 1989 until 1999. During his time as PGCE tutor, David undertook a lot of work in schools related to 'thinking skills' and their impact on teaching and learning. This school and university based research culminated in the publication of Thinking Through Geography in 1998. This seminal text is still an invaluable resource in every secondary geography classroom. David was the editor of the Thinking Through series, which now has seven titles in the series.

From 2001 to 2004 David worked for the DfES as a Regional Director for the KS3 Strategy. On his return to Newcastle University he took over as Director for the Research Centre for Learning and Teaching and is Newcastle University's Professor of Curriculum Innovation.