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The responsibilities of the Education Committee shall be to guide both Council and the Senior Management Team in work concerning the education of compulsory school-age students and to promote good practice in geographical education.

For the avoidance of doubt all references to education in this document refer to education of compulsory school-age students in any setting.

Membership

• Alan Parkinson (Chair, Vice President: Education)
• Dr Simon Oakes (Councillor)
• Emily Rotchell
• Richard Bustin (Co-opted)
• Chantal Mayo-Hollaway (Co-opted)
• Sophie Wilson (Co-opted)
• Simon Holland (Co-opted)
• India Owens (Co-opted)
• Ex-officio representatives from Ordnance Survey, Field Studies Council, Esri UK and The Geological Society

The Committee will be chaired by the Vice President for Education or their designate.

All members of the Committee will serve one fixed term of four years.

Co-opted Committee members will bring a range of expertise and experience of geographical education for compulsory school-age students.

All members co-opted by the Committee will be subject to approval by Council.

Society staff will attend ex officio as required including the Director, Director of Research, Education and Professional, Manager: Educational Professional Support, and Manager: Resources, Projects and Partnerships.

Co-option to the Committee

There are three routes to appointment/co-option. The October 2022 meeting of Education Committee concluded that direct co-option (2. below) serves the current needs of the Committee’s work effectively, however these ToR retain options 1 and 3 in order that this body can respond to events or requirements and supplement or modify this approach.

1. Direct election: appointment of places on the Committee to take place simultaneously with, and as part of the process of, the annual cycle of elections to Council.
2. Direct co-option: appointment of additional members by invitation for special purposes. This allows for specific skills or knowledge, or sectoral or institutional interest to be represented on the sub-committee. Such proposals for co-option require formal approval by Council.
3. Appointment by application: by this route the role and responsibilities, and associated skills and knowledge required, would be advertised through Society channels and applications considered and, as relevant applicants interviewed.

Frequency of meetings

The Committee bi-annually, in October and February.

Quorum

The Education Committee shall be quorate when 50% of its members are present, in person or through teleconferencing.

Decision-making

Decision-making shall be by consensus as far as possible. If a vote is required, each member shall have one vote and the Chair shall have the casting vote.

Duties

The duties of the Committee shall be:

Policy and strategy

• To contribute to the development of the Society’s thinking on all aspects of geographical education and its understanding of the wider school educational context.
• To advise on the Society’s response to consultations on school educational matters.
• To influence the development of the school curriculum and examination specifications for geography by actively engaging with organisations responsible for them.
• To advise on the prioritisation of work within the Society’s education team, leading to an agreed work plan.
• To monitor progress against agreed priorities, in line with the published work plan.
• To contribute to the creation of the Society's strategic plans, focussing on areas relating to geographical education in schools, ensuring they are aligned with current good practice.
• To support the Society’s work on specific time bound educational projects by evaluating, advising and reflecting on their efficacy.

Recruitment and Professional Development

• To support the Society’s work promoting geography education by advising on effective methods for engaging children and young people.
• To advise the Society on current issues in teacher recruitment and Initial Teacher Education, to enable the Society to maximise its impact in this area.
• To recommend areas in which the Society might most effectively contribute to the professional development of teachers of geography, and the methods by which this might be achieved.

Communication

• To recommend effective engagement strategies for the communication of the Society’s thinking to those working in education and to children and young people.
• To advise the Society on the handling of controversial issues in education where there is an overlap with the Society’s interests.

Safeguarding and Health & Safety

• Council has oversight of the Society's safeguarding policy. Elements related to work with schools will be reviewed by the Education Committee annually, taking into account any relevant updates in DfE policy.
• To support the Society in the safe and effective running of any event promoted by the Society that involves children and young people.

Review

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed by the Committee every three years.

These terms were reviewed in April 2025 and are next due for review by Council in April 2028.