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Big Tick winner in 2006

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Ordnance Survey - Free Maps for 11-year-olds

Merrill Lynch Investing in Young People Award 2006 supported by the Department for Education and Skills

Ordnance Survey hope to address the decline in the number of youngsters sitting GCSE and A level Geography by inspiring more pupils to opt for the subject at examination level.

Ordnance Survey’s 'Free Maps for 11-year-olds' initiative offers every Year 7 pupil in England and Wales, and Primary 7 pupils in Scotland, a free OS Explorer Map of their local area.

Processes

More than three million maps with a retail value of around £18.7 million have been distributed since its launch in 2002. In addition all eligible children receive accompanying packs, whilst their teachers and parents receive guidance notes with suggestions of how to make the most of the maps.

The scheme was launched after research revealed an acute shortage of maps in schools that was resulting in some teachers being unable to adequately deliver the map skills teaching element of the Key Stage 3 geography curriculum.

On top of raising the profile of geography nationally, it has kick-started a wholesale re-examination of the way map skills are taught in schools and introduced up-to-date maps into households that would never have bought one, helping to encourage pupils and their families to explore their local area together.

Ordnance Survey's scheme is supported at board level, with a Technical Working Group managing day-to-day issues and drawing members from relevant work areas, ranging from information systems, to customer services, to design. More than 30 staff have responsibility for parts of the free maps scheme, with additional temporary labour employed at peak times to assist with packing and dispatch.

Ordnance Survey hope to address the decline in the number of youngsters sitting GCSE and A level Geography by inspiring more pupils to opt for the subject at examination level. Whilst this can only be measured over a longer period of time, KPIs are used to steer the project to success and to build on feedback. In 2005, these included:

Take-up by eligible mainstream schools to be greater than 90%.
95% of all map orders received to be delivered by 21 December 2005.

University College Northampton carries out annual research and evaluation on the programme, using an email surveys and face to face interviews with smaller focus groups. The results show that 96% of teachers consider the scheme quite or very valuable.

Ordnance Survey have acted on their recommendations by introducing additional teaching resources, including an award-winning website for further study. This GISzone introduces pupils to the concepts of using digital mapping to solve problems, such as where a wind farm might be sited.

On-going Stakeholder engagement is seen as crucial to the success of the scheme. When schools told them it was difficult to accurately predict class numbers in advance of the new school year, Ordnance Survey changed the ordering schedule to September. Similarly, teaching materials specific to England, Scotland and Wales have been produced. Welsh materials are produced in bi-lingual format.

Ordnance Survey make it as easy as possible for schools to take up their offer, giving them copies of their previous year's order, and sending reminders to schools who've not yet placed their order.

Impact

85 press cuttings and 12 radio interviews in 2005.

Brand awareness among children increased from 19% to 81%.

Shining endorsements from Education Ministers.

Two awards (from the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers and the Royal Geographical Society) have further enhanced their corporate reputation and led to international interest.

Staff have told managers that it has increased their pride in the organisation and, for those directly involved, their job satisfaction.

In 2005 736,866 maps were delivered to children in 6,783 schools.

Participation has risen to over 92% of eligible schools (where age is the only criteria) including state, special and independent schools as well as home-educated children.

Results show a clear improvement in pupils' ability to understand and use maps, both in school and at home.

The scheme has kick-started a wholesale re-examination of the way maps skills are taught in schools, with many schools rewriting their Schemes of Work and introducing imaginative new use of the maps.

Maps have been introduced into ethnic minority households from countries of origin where detailed local maps are unavailable, and who therefore had little knowledge of maps.

The scheme has encouraged children and their parents into the outdoors and the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

The scheme has broken all socio-economic barriers to the use of maps in the home. Previously maps were a resource used much more by middle and higher income families, now every child is provided with access to a map of their local area.