My Burford - Mr Alex Todd-Jones

Alex, our Geography Head of Department, looks back on two decades at Burford School, from inspiring generations of young geographers to leading unforgettable fieldwork and international experiences.

I joined Burford School in September 2006, having studied in Birmingham and Bristol before working for the Environment Agency River Monitoring Team. I applied to Burford while on a teaching placement in The Gambia, with only two prior insights – the school had a Uganda Link and there was a nice garden centre nearby. Little did I know how transformative the Uganda exchange would later be for my teaching and outlook on life. The garden centre is very good too.

As I enter my 20th year at Burford, I have been blessed to work alongside inspiring geographers, both past and present, from my mentor Mrs Steward to long-time collaborators Mrs Parker and Ms Cotham, as well as the newest additions to the department, Mr Belmont and Mrs Bettle. I am proud to lead a cohesive team who consistently hold high expectations of themselves and our students. I am humbled that Geography has been the most popular GCSE option at Burford for over 20 years. We have grown our intake to over 300 students at GCSE and more than 50 at A Level.

My role is diverse and fluid but primarily focuses on shaping the vision of the department, developing and reviewing our curriculum and assessments, monitoring student progress, organising fieldwork and trips, leading departmental training, and keeping abreast of developments in geography education. Yet the best part is teaching students from Years 7 to 13.

Geography develops global citizens with a curiosity and a fascination about the world and its people. We guide students to explore the world beyond their own and, through different lenses, challenge them to think, feel, critique and problem-solve real-world issues. Geography is multidisciplinary, a science and a social study – a bridge that connects other subjects. We have purposefully designed our curriculum to highlight these connections, from studying rivers and coasts, climate change and water security, to cities and rural areas, trade and aid. We understand what makes the world tick, recognising how these topics overlap and interact. We are staunch advocates of mixed-ability classes, and our topic booklets reflect this, as we have built-in entry-point tasks for students of all abilities.

We offer numerous co-curricular opportunities beyond the classroom, ranging from field trips and enrichment days to competitions. Fieldwork is one of the greatest perks of being a geography teacher. Watching students embrace new experiences in new environments is special. From early experiences of weathering around the school site in Year 7 and microclimates in Year 8, to urban and river fieldwork at GCSE, our offer builds throughout the school years. It culminates in my favourite week of the year, our annual A Level trip to Slapton, Devon: an immersive week spent in the great outdoors. I have also led jaw-dropping trips to Iceland and the Bay of Naples for the more adventurous geographers. Who knows where we might go next? Costa Rica and India are high on my bucket list.

I love teaching ‘nosey geographers’, and Burford is full of them. Curiosity can initially create chaos but later creates connections. I am a storyteller. I regularly share my experiences, and I love listening to my students’ own travel tales. Hardly a day passes without a student questioning me about geopolitics, earthquakes, migration or the number of oktas of cloud cover. I have a love of learning that I hope to impart to my students.

Teaching A Level and being a Sixth Form tutor have always held a very special place in my heart. It is a privilege to help students navigate the next stage of their journey through, and ultimately away from, Burford. I admire the talent, energy and determination of my tutees and love hearing from Old Burfordians about how their time at school shaped their future roles. The Sixth Form family is a highlight of school life, from the buzz of the block to the Christmas Dinner Dance.

Burford has given me so many fulfilling experiences, friendships and memories. From teaching in Room 18, or the ‘Welsh Embassy’ as one student called it, to the friendship of colleagues in the staff room, it has been an extraordinary journey. I have kayaked down the Thames, bathed in the Blue Lagoon, climbed Vesuvius, gazed at the Northern Lights, scoffed tiramisu in Treviso, watched shooting stars in Tanzania and even opened the batting for the staff cricket team. Yet there is one experience that stands above the others, and it is the reason I applied to work at Burford – the Uganda Link. I was fortunate to see 36 students across three cycles form bonds across cultures and continents, and to ‘Learn Together’ (Tuyigire wamu). We met the King of Buganda, challenged a palm oil company, swam across the Equator, and Mr Bassett even saved me from an unfortunate ending with a hippo. Kalangala on the Ssese Islands became one of my happy places.

If I had to describe Burford in three words, they would be: unique, dynamic and community.