Geography resource now available to further schools

Ordnance Survey (OS) is offering its free education resource for the teaching of geography to 1,800 primary and secondary schools in some of the most deprived areas of Great Britain.

Digimap for Schools was launched just over 15 years ago in a partnership between OS and EDINA, at The University of Edinburgh. It is a flagship digital platform that provides interactive mapping tools for the teaching of geography, and other core curriculum areas, in primary and secondary schools. It helps pupils and teachers develop digital and data skills and explore both modern and historical maps as well as aerial imagery. Around one-sixth of schools in England - more than 18 million pupils - have used the service since 2020.

The new offer means Digimap for Schools will reach more than one million schoolchildren in those most deprived areas across Britain, alongside three million who currently have access to the service. A programme of training will also be offered to educators, alongside the development of a new network of practising teachers to provide effective teaching support.

Free access to Digimap for Schools was previously sponsored by the government for schools rated Ofsted 3 or 4. This year, the eligibility criteria has been widened to include 1,800 schools in the lowest 8% of deprived areas in England and also for the first time in Scotland and Wales. This will include cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow. The latest offer was secured by Government Digital Service, under the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement. 

Nick Bolton, Chief Executive of OS, said: “It is fundamental that we support the effective teaching of geography in schools, building confidence when using interactive mapping tools, and fostering critical technical skills to grow our future geographers. We are delighted to announce the extension of Digimap for Schools to those with the greatest need in England, Scotland and Wales. We encourage headteachers to take advantage of this offer and introduce Digimap for Schools into their classrooms this year.”

Noadswood School in Southampton, Hampshire, has been using Digimap for Schools for the last three years. The school’s head of geography, Jo Skinner, said they had seen a real increase in the number of students taking geography and great engagement from students using Digimap for Schools. She said: “The real benefit of using Digimap for Schools is that it brings geography to life. We’ve mainly used it to boost our fieldwork where the students can gather information outside the classroom and then upload it onto a digital map where they can identify patterns. We’ve also used it to develop GIS skills, which are really important in the geography curriculum.”

The overall number of students sitting geography GCSE exams has grown for 14 consecutive years, as understanding of its importance grows in addressing urgent issues like climate change, economic inequality and migration. Geography is currently the sixth most popular subject at GCSE, with just under 300,000 students in England and Wales sitting exams last year.

Steve Brace, Chief Executive of the Geographical Association, said: “Geography plays an important role in helping young people understand the world around them. Our members tell us that digital tools like Digimap for Schools are invaluable for geography teachers to enrich the curriculum learning experience and put data analysis directly into the hands of pupils. We welcome this initiative for schools in deprived areas, as well as the expansion into Scotland and Wales, and encourage all eligible schools to sign-up.”

Headteachers of eligible schools will be directly contacted about the new offer in the next month. For further information about the Digimap for Schools Free Access Scheme, here.