GA Annual Conference 2026

Amid growing societal divides, the equity approach strives to make schools genuinely inclusive, focusing on removing obstacles to learning and acknowledging the biases and barriers we create in schools. It encourages us to look at children through the strengths they bring not the deficits they face. This includes replacing unhelpful labels such as ‘disadvantaged pupils’, and nurturing mutually respectful relationships with parents. Equity best bets offer teachers practical strategies to level the playing field in education.

Following the release of the curriculum and assessment review in England, teachers of geography are presented with new opportunities to explore the transformative power of creative and critical thinking in lessons. The challenge for geography teacher educators and mentors is to support novice teachers to empower pupils to think geographically as they navigate an increasingly interconnected and changing world. In this lecture, Vicki will explore how teachers of geography, across all phases, can re-engage with the principles of curriculum making, grounded in geographical enquiry, as they re-imagine the role and significance of critical and creative thinking.