20 February 2003

Ordnance Survey prepares a free map for every 11-year-old

Ministers praise extension of education initiative

A free map for every 11-year-old is on the timetable this year with the extension of one of the biggest initiatives of its kind in British schools.

Ordnance Survey is making available a free Explorer map for every Year 7/Primary 7 pupil following the success of a similar mass distribution last autumn. Around 750,000 children at 6,200 schools took delivery, using their maps in and out of class. This year Ordnance Survey hopes even more children will benefit from the scheme.

Welcoming the initiative, Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Education in England, said: "Geography plays a vital role in helping children to understand the environment in which they are living. Children will benefit enormously from learning about how familiar places in their lives, such as their home or school, form part of the many diverse communities in this country."

Welsh Education Minister, Jane Davidson, said: "This innovative project can inspire effective teamwork, building personal confidence and has huge educational benefits across the curriculum from geography, in class and on field trips, to maths and history. By giving these maps free to all 11-year-olds, it can help bring the subjects alive and help pupils put what they learn in class into action. It also helps to meet the Assembly Government's commitment to improve the health and fitness of the people of Wales, by encouraging them to walk and explore."

And the Minister for Education in Scotland, Cathy Jamieson, added: “Learning and understanding how to use a map doesn’t just help young people get from A to B. Using local maps is an excellent way of exploring your local community and learning about its history. This initiative by the Ordnance Survey will give Scottish pupils the opportunity to learn new skills and discover hidden knowledge of their local area.”

Research shows many children found it fascinating to own a map and have used their experience to develop skills and confidence in geography, local history, citizenship and many other studies.

“We’ve had excellent feedback from pupils, teachers and parents,” says Elaine Owen, Ordnance Survey’s education sector manager. “Map work is ideal for developing essential life skills such as problem solving and decision making, and teachers tell us the free maps are an important extra resource for classroom exercises, homework, projects and field studies. The children are really excited by having maps of their own.”

The return of the scheme has been welcomed by teachers across the country who registered last year. One head of geography, Steve Perry at Arnewood School at New Milton in Hampshire, said: “It is a fantastic opportunity, getting the students to use the maps at home with parents as well as in the classroom. Students were excited and motivated by being given a map, and we were able to dovetail their use into our key curriculum tasks, for example, looking at local settlements and looking at routes their parents used to get to work.

This year, schools will be contacted at the start of the autumn term and given details of how to register online to receive their maps by Christmas.

But to help Ordnance Survey prepare its huge logistical printing exercise, head teachers who took delivery last year are receiving letters now inviting them to pre-register, confirming the map they wish to receive later in the year.

All pre-registered schools will still be required to register online at the start of the autumn term, along with those who are taking part for the first time.

The free maps initiative is supported by resources and activities on the Homework Help section of Ordnance Survey’s free interactive web site for children, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone.

Further information is available at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/education.

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