WIREDGOV

Schoolchildren to have success all mapped out

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT News Release (234) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 2 October 2008

Ordnance Survey is giving away 'Free-Maps-for-11-year-olds' to encourage children to get out and discover the world around them, Ordnance Survey Minister Iain Wright announced today.

Every Year 7 pupil in England, Scotland and Wales can receive a free 1:25 000 scale OS Explorer Map of their local area.

Since its launch in 2002 the initiative has had an overwhelming response. Each year, Ordnance Survey distributes over 700 000 maps to pupils through their schools. They also receive a copy of the leaflet "Map reading made easy peasy". Today Iain Wright and Vanessa Lawrence from Ordnance Survey will visit Dyke House Comprehensive School in Hartlepool to hand over the maps to the pupils. Head Teacher, Bill Jordan, will also be presented with a special gold covered Ordnance Survey map of the school to mark the year that the 5 millionth map is to be given away.

Pupils from Dyke House's 7 will then take part in a treasure hunt at the school where they will have special 'treasure maps' of the school grounds to find 11 clues that will spell out the location of a grand prize.

The free maps scheme and treasure hunt are designed to encourage geography and environmental studies - both in and outside the classroom - helping to get pupils to explore their local community with their families and learn about practical map reading.

Ordnance Survey Minister Iain Wright said:

"It's fantastic that this year the five millionth 11-year-old has received a free map of where they live and where their school is thanks to the Ordnance Survey. "With sat nav becoming increasingly common, this scheme encourages children to learn geography in their own backyard and develop that all important sense of direction"

This year Ordnance Survey is offering a special prize for the lucky school that orders the five millionth map. The winners will receive a commemorative map site-centred on their school. In addition Tony Robinson and the Time Team will host a day out for the eight pupils who win the annual free maps competition.

Vanessa Lawrence CB, Ordnance Survey Director General and Chief Executive added: "Interpreting geographic information - on a paper map or on the computer screen - is a vital skill that will help children throughout their lives.

"The Free Maps for 11 year-olds scheme helps support these skills and we are delighted to be running it again for the seventh year running."

The free maps scheme has won an official Big Tick for responsible business practice and been shortlisted for the Merrill Lynch Investing in Young People Award.

Notes to editors

1. Teachers across Britain are invited to order the free maps on behalf of their pupils at the start of the autumn term. Under the national curriculum for England and Wales and the national guidelines for education in Scotland children must start learning map skills in year 7. teachers should place their order by 30 November 2008 on the Ordnance Survey free maps website - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/freemapsfor11yearolds.

2. Ordnance Survey is keen to make the free maps initiative as inclusive as possible. Teachers of children with visual impairment are being encouraged to download free extracts of the same 1: 25 000 scale information shown on the maps from the Get-a-map service on Ordnance Survey's website - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap. It is easy to save and enlarge the extracts for teaching purposes.

3. Ordnance Survey's website for children - http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone - is playing an increasingly important role in the free maps scheme by offering interactive games and educational activities online. In addition, the online explore portal is a new resource that teachers are taking advantage of. Launched last year, explore allows users to plot, share and search for routes on mapping for all of Britain. Teachers are using the site, which is free to use, to highlight different map symbols to their pupils - something which is a Key Stage 2 requirement.

4. Dyke House Comprehensive School in Hartlepool is one of the biggest benefactors of the free school maps programme claiming over 200 each year for its year seven classes.

5. For more information call the free maps helpline on 0845 337 3133 or email freemapenquiries@ordnancesurvey.co.uk

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