Primary Science Teacher CPD: Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes and Earthquakes

The British Geological Survey is hosting a CPD session for primary teachers on Wednesday 18 November, from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm at their site in Keyworth. It's a full day focused on plate tectonics, volcanoes and earthquakes, and it's led by BGS geologists rather than external trainers.

The session works through the KS2 geography topic, covering what the National Curriculum in England and Wales requires. It's not just a lecture, though; they'll be demonstrating classroom activities you can actually use, and you'll get hands-on with real volcanic samples and rock samples from the BGS core store. If you've ever struggled to make the theory feel concrete for a class, that's the bit that does the heavy lifting.

One teacher who went in 2025 put it as 'exactly what teachers need: quality resources shared freely, time to talk together about teaching the topic in hand, course led by two experts who are willing to listen and ask and answer questions.' That's a fair summary of the day: the resources, the chance to chat with other teachers, and the experts on hand to answer the tricky questions.

Lunch and refreshments are included, and the session is free. Places are limited, so you'll need to pre-book. If this isn't your particular patch, the BGS also runs CPD sessions on rocks, fossils and mountains, and schools can arrange a session specifically for their own staff through the BGS Public Engagement team. The day runs from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm on Wednesday 18 November at the British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG.