Oak National Academy


The Geographical Association was finally announced today as one of the curriculum partners for the forthcoming Oak National Academy curriculum packages.

The GA has been successful in bidding for the Primary geography curriculum package, and will be producing a whole range of resources in the coming year(s). 

More details here. 

The GA has of course engaged a range of primary geography experts (of which I have worked with many) and they will be producing a full suite of materials over the next couple of years, all of which will be made available free of charge.

In primary and secondary geography, this will mean that the curriculum plans include:

A focus on four interrelated areas of substantive geographical knowledge: locational, place, processes and skills

Linking substantive and disciplinary knowledge to develop key geographical concepts (which include: place, space (including spatio-temporal change), scale, interconnection and interdependence, physical and human processes, environmental impact, sustainable development, cultural awareness, cultural diversity and interpretation) together with capacity for ‘spatial thinking’ and ‘thinking geographically’

Integration of geographical knowledge including map skills, geographic information systems (GIS), aerial and satellite imagery (Earth Observation)

Embedding of geographical knowledge to achieve automaticity by application to novel situations in case studies and fieldwork


The Oak Geography subject experts are identified on the website are:

Tiffeny Ashton - St Columb Minor Academy
Tom Brassington - St Modwens, Burton
Michael Chiles - Kings Leadership Academy
Mark Enser - Ofsted
Iain Freeland - Oasis Community Learning
Kate Fritter, Ark Curriculum +
Grace Healy - David Ross Education Trust
David Preece - Teach First
Jessica Rennie - Stanley Road Primary School, Oldham


There was no successful bid for Secondary geography according to this TES article, so another round of funding will be released at some point. There are also some criticisms of Oak itself in terms of its association with the government, and potential impact on other educational publishers, as well as some initial concerns about the quality of materials and the diversity of contributors. It will be interesting to see how the new curriculum packages look, and what sort of audience they find.


I will be following with interest...

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