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We are excited to offer our Subject Knowledge Scholar Programme for 2027.
This eight week online course is designed for prospective geography ITE students without a geography degree, ITE students and practising teachers.
The programme will start in June 2027.
This year we are opening the programme up to:
- Pre-ITE for those preparing to take a PGCE or other teaching qualification.
- ITE students for those progressing in their education journey.
- Practising teachers looking to support their knowledge and experience with further accreditation.
All three options will cost the same and include the same products but they will each be tailored to your knowledge and experience level.
- It will develop your geographical subject knowledge and give you three years membership of the Geographical Association.
- Dr Becky Kitchen, or one of our expert tutors, will guide and support you through the course materials – which have been designed in partnership with experienced geography teachers.
- We will provide you with free places on our KS3, KS4 and KS5 subject knowledge and fieldwork courses.
- You will have the option to attend our three-day GA Annual Conference.
- We will send you over £250 worth of our best-selling resources including the Handbook of Secondary Geography, Geography Through Enquiry (2nd edn) and the Top Spec Geography series.
- When you’ve completed the scholarship programme you will receive a written report and certificate.
Programme overview
8-week online subject knowledge enhancement course
The programme will start in June 2027.
Each week will have a different theme, include reflective independent work and involve an online discussion with your tutor:
Week 1 – Becoming a geographer and developing your subject knowledge
Week 2 – Weather and climate
Week 3 – Landscapes: rivers, coasts and glaciers
Week 4 – Hazards
Week 5 – Urban environments
Week 6 – Development
Week 7 – Option: Resources; The climate crisis; Ecosystems; Globalisation and global governance; Population and migration; Map skills
Week 8 – Embedding fieldwork
Certificate and written report from your tutor will be awarded on successful completion of the programme.
Meet the lead tutor
Dr Becky Kitchen is the Head of Professional Development at the Geographical Association and leads the team of SKS programme tutors.
Becky taught for sixteen years at Aylesbury High School before joining the GA as a member of staff in September 2015.
During her time as Head of Geography, the department achieved the Secondary Geography Quality Mark Centre of Excellence on three occasions.
Becky was also awarded the Royal Geographical Society Ordnance Survey Award for excellence in teaching geography in 2009 and the Geographical Association Award for excellence in leading geography in 2014.
Becky has significant experience in designing and leading CPD courses and has also written a range of educational resources including a series of KS3 Geographical Enquiries for Collins and textbooks for the reformed GCSE and A level qualifications.
She has consultancy experience in a range of contexts. For example, she has recently been involved as an international expert in a British Council funded project to support curriculum reform in Croatia.
Becky also has a background in geographical education research. In 2018 she received a doctorate from the University of Cambridge; her thesis focused on exploring ethnic minority representations of geographical knowledge.
‘Our first cohort of subject knowledge scholars were absolutely brilliant and have gone on with confidence to start their training. I’m really excited to expand the programme so that we can work with even more scholars, supporting them in an experience which will provide them with loads of high-quality CPD and kick-start their sustained engagement with our amazing geography teacher community.’
If you have any questions, or would like more information please email us: info@geography.org.uk
Please see our Events and CPD bookings terms and conditions here.
