Education is not the filling of the pail but the lighting of a fire!   

Gyles Morris has over 25 years as a specialist consultant in, and leading provider of  Primary Geography & History, and Outdoor Learning across the curriculum.  He works with individual schools and groups of teachers across the UK and internationally on improving teaching and learning within a rigorously progressive and challenging outcome driven curriculum.  He is a guest lecturer at the Institute of Education, UCL and the Royal Geographical Society and also contributes to SCITT , Teach First and EYFS training. He contributes to Oviedo University-Spain, IAPS, AQA,  and is an approved provider for the Global Learning Programme – Wales. He combined his skills to become founder Director of Naturesbase an environmental education centre and is a true example of someone who ‘walks the talk’. 

This key question led enquiry-based approach teaches important subject knowledge whilst emphasising the significance of teachers allowing time and opportunity for pupils to master key subject skills and outcomes by ‘doing less better’.

 

Gyles, thank you so much for the work you did with us last week. Everyone was really inspired and encouraged by what you said and did with us. I have had several excited emails this week from teachers who have taken their teaching outside and who have said that the children have enjoyed and really learnt in an exciting way.  Helen Smith Montacute Primary School 

Feedback from online and face to face training over the past 12 months

• An absolutely brilliant day with loads to take from it. Extremely useful to support our school with the development of geography
• Really enjoyed the activities, discussions, and hands on approach. I feel very motivated
• The course leader was fantastic. He had great subject knowledge & made everyone feel included and confident.
• Thank you Gyles for your enthusiasm, knowledge and inspiration
• One of the best and most practical courses I have been on. Great ideas and resources

Training 2023

Ensuring Successful Subject Leadership in Geography / History in a Creative Curriculum EYFS– Year 6 

   Cost: £120            Thursday 9th February Geography   

                                    Thursday 17^th March   History                 

 

Rationale of the day

Middle leaders are the engine of any school. In many ways you are the most important leadership group in the school. The most important.’ Sir Michael Wilshaw

These days will be a very practical, interactive and content rich day providing timely support for educator’s new to subject leadership in history / geography as well as those with more experience. The course will include the key elements of an enquiry based, outcome driven creative history / geography curriculum and a wide variety of examples. All delegates will receive history learning and teaching activities and schemes of work to use in the context of their own schools. These will also serve as models which colleagues can use to plan and resource their own learning enquiries.  

Key Objectives: all colleagues will leave: ·

• With increased knowledge and understanding of the key requirements that contribute to the strategic priorities of a subject lead, curriculum vision, planning, implementation and inclusion
• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing challenging and progressive long term plans for history and medium term plans for each geographical enquiry
• Having experienced how to plan for progression in both substantive and disciplinary knowledge and assess pupil outcomes against end points of learning in an inclusive and manageable way
• Having gained practical experience of high-quality history learning and teaching at different stages.
• With increased confidence, resources, and inspiration to design and resource their own programmes of history

 

CPD  Online Primary Fieldwork in a progressive and challenging Geography Curriculum

Using the school grounds and surrounding area to deliver challenging learning and teaching through fieldwork: Foundation Phase – Year 6

 

Rationale of the day

In Spring 2021 Ofsted Inspectors noted that ‘Primary pupils’ geographical skills were weak and there was a lack of meaningful fieldwork’. The day will be a very practical, interactive and content rich day providing timely support for educators new to geography fieldwork as well as those with more experience. The course will include the key elements of an enquiry based, outcome driven creative geography curriculum, progression of key skills and subject vocabulary and a wide variety of integrated fieldwork examples. All delegates will receive a range of free geography learning and teaching activities and schemes of work to use in the context of their own schools. These will also serve as models which colleagues can use to plan and resource their own geography and fieldwork learning enquiries.

, thank you so much for the work you did with us last week. Everyone was really inspired and encouraged by what you said and did with us. I have had several excited emails this week from teachers who have taken their teaching outside and who have said that the children have enjoyed and really learnt in an exciting way.

Key Objectives: all colleagues will leave: ·

• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing a challenging creative geography curriculum, including progression of key skills and subject vocabulary.
• Having gained practical experience of high-quality geography fieldwork learning and teaching at different stages.
• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing challenging and progressive geography field work.
• With increased confidence, resources, and inspiration to design and resource their own programmes of geography and fieldwork.

09.00   Key Messages: Ensuring a rigorous approach to Geography and the National Curriculum

09.45   Principles into practice: EYFS tracks, trail, maps, and plans,

Weather through progressive practical learning enquires - EYFS to Yr6

11.00   Refreshments

11.30   Principles into practice: Creating a sense of place through practical learning enquiries

13.00   Lunch

13.45   Principles into practice: Exploring environmental quality & sustainability through practical learning enquiries

15.00   Risk assessments

Feedback from January & March fieldwork course 2022 Thank you for the great and very useful course my geography lead attended I look forward to implementing all the ideas and improving geography provision across the school. Headteacher Worcs

The first part of the morning gave a great overview to the Geog curriculum which as a subject lead was so useful in helping articulate our aims and intentions for the subject. Followed by great fieldwork ideas across the school. Geography Lead, Herts

Feedback from online and face to face Inset over the past 12 months

• Really enjoyed the activities, discussions, and hands on approach. I feel very motivated
• The course leader was fantastic. He had great subject knowledge & made everyone feel included and confident.
• Thank you Gyles for your enthusiasm, knowledge and inspiration
• One of the best and most practical courses I have been on. Great ideas and resources

Please contact gyles@naturesbase.co.uk for a booking form

Here are a few examples of our courses on offer at Naturesbase ,  at various conference venues, at your school and online. 

Physical geography

This will be a very practical and interactive day which will meet the needs of educators with limited subject knowledge of physical geography as well as those with more experience. As part of the course all delegates will receive a range of FREE physical geographical curriculum related teaching schemes of work to use in the context of their own schools.  These will also serve as models which colleagues can use to plan and resource their own learning enquiries. 

Key Objectives - all colleagues will leave the day:

• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing, challenging and progressive geography learning in a creative curriculum.
• With increased knowledge and understanding of the key systems and processes that underpin physical geographical.
• With examples of how to integrate numeracy and literacy within the teaching of Geography
• Having reviewed and gained practical experience of examples of physical geographical learning enquiries at key stage 1 and 2 including: Volcanoes, Mountains, Rivers, Weather and Climate Change
• With an extensive range of CPD materials to support the development of effective practice amongst colleagues in their own schools and settings.
• With increased confidence, resources and inspiration to design and resource their own programmes of enquiry investigative learning.

 

Outdoor Learning Conference

Using the school grounds to deliver challenging learning and teaching across the curriculum: Foundation Phase – Year 6

 These days will be a very practical and interactive day which will meet the needs of educators new to outdoor learning as well as those with more experience. As part of the course all delegates will receive a range of FREE outdoor learning and teaching activities to use in the context of their own schools.  These are all linked to National Curriculum subject content as well as SMSC and will also serve as models which colleagues can use to plan and resource their own outdoor learning enquiries.  Most of the day will be outdoors so please dress appropriately.

Key Objectives: all colleagues will leave:

• Having gained practical experience of high quality outdoor learning and teaching at different stages;

• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing challenging and progressive outdoor learning in subjects across the curriculum and to support SMSC;

• With increased confidence, resources and inspiration to design and resource their own programmes of outdoor learning.

 

Feedback From Autumn Conferences 2018

Out of 140 teachers, 90% said the day was very well presented and very relevant to school improvement, and 10% said it was well presented and relevant.

Loved the ‘hands on’ approach with this training.  Loved the big question approach – I think we complicate our teaching by fitting far too much into a term

Excellent course – great tutors and great knowledge

Brilliant, engaging, ideas can be taken directly into class and don’t require much money time or resources

Excellent hands on approach with a very clear focus on outcome based learning.  This is exactly what our school needs.

“An outstanding day of engaging cross curricular ideas and resources which I can use outside with my class tomorrow. It ticked all the boxes.”

“The best and most engaging INSET I have been on, thank you.”

 

Humanities in a creative Welsh curriculum - ensuring outstanding Geography through cross curricular topics. 

Key objectives – all  colleagues leave

• Understanding the learning theory that underpins the design of a creative curriculum
• Knowing how thematic cross-curricular learning can be designed to ensure appropriate stage related subject outcomes in geography are delivered through cross-curricular topics
• Aware of the pedagogy that best supports pupil engagement and the progress in geography
• With a examples of fully documented and resourced cross curricular investigations with a geographical focus to trail and evaluate in their own schools.

Humanities in a creative Welsh curriculum - ensuring outstanding History and achieving chronological knowledge and understanding through thematic investigations

Key objectives – all  colleagues leave

• Understand the concept of chronology and the skill of chronological thinking
• Knowing how investigations of overview topics and themes can be used effectively to develop an understanding of continuity and change and secure sense of chronology
• Aware of how to plan such enquires both to engage pupils and ensure continuity and progression in subject outcomes FS – Year 6

Developing an outstanding creative curriculum - Using the school and the school grounds to deliver challenging learning and teaching across the curriculum:FS– Year 6

Key Objectives: all colleagues will leave:

• Having gained practical experience of high quality learning and teaching at different stages both indoors and out;
• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing challenging and progressive learning in subjects across the curriculum.
• With increased confidence, resources and inspiration to design and resource their own programmes of enquiry investigative learning.

 

Locational Knowledge Around the World - Primary Geography

Supporting school improvement & raising pupil achievement

Using geography to deliver challenging learning and teaching and SMSC across the integrated and broader curriculum linking into core subjects: EYFS – Year 6

This practical and interactive day will focus on skills, similarities and difference of the physical and human geographies in a wide range of case studies of places around the world

KEY OBJECTIVES

Delegates will leave:

• Having gained practical experience of high quality learning and teaching at different stages;
• Understanding the key principles of designing and resourcing challenging and progressive geography to support SMSC;
• With increased confidence and inspiration to design and resource their own enquiry led investigations and programmes of geography.

Other Courses on offer

1. Ensuring Outstanding Creative Environmental Play in your Nursery or Early Years Setting. This course is for all those involved with Nursery and Early Years Education and responsible for the development of the Foundation Stage Curriculum
2. Practical and creative geography focus day KS1 & 2
3. Creative fieldwork and physical geography opportunities in your school  KS 1, 2 & 3
4. KS3 Enquiry fieldwork
5. Creating a sustainable school KS 1,2,3,4
6. If you are interested in organising an unforgettable day or week of adventure and stimulation for your class or a training day for the staff at your school, we are a small flexible team who would value designing a day to meet your needs, so please do not hesitate to contact us.