In which sector does your ESTA interest lie?

How useful is the newsletter?

What would make the Annual Conference easier for you to attend?

Members told us that September is always a busy time of the year and that it would be better to hold our annual conference in the summer term between March and July.

Pre-arranged parking was raised as something for us to consider, along with accommodation packages.

Several members asked for aspects of the conference to be online for those unable to attend, or only attend for part of the conference.

Almost everyone responding felt that ensuring easy links to national transport networks is a priority. Several members suggested that we provided transport from train stations to the venue in order to be able to use more remote venues.

What is a reasonable membership fee and what do you want from it?

• 90% of members think that what they currently pay is fine.
• Members generally felt that a membership fee of between £25-£50 would be reasonable.

In return members asked for a continuation of our publications, a good and well resourced website, some branded merchandise, more organised field trips and for us to arrange opportunities for experts to make school visits.

How you see ESTA's current strengths

• Members strongly felt that ESTA's strength lies mostly in supporting earth science education: specifically promoting it, enhancing its teaching, providing expertise and creating links beween prospective students, schools, univerisities and employers.
• Members also felt that a major strength was uniting teachers where they are usually working alone in their setting.
• Several members highlighted that ESTA has sometimes focused on secondary education and hasn't paid enough attention to primary, further and higher education, as well as adult education in general.

What should our goals be for the next 10 years?

• Helping teachers in recruiting students.
• Widening membership to include non-specialists and non-teachers.
• An overall aim of widening particiation in earth science through non-formal study.
• More visible collaboration with other geological organisations.
• Primary school outreach.
• Exam board targeted INSET.
• Encourage participation from retired members.
• Focus resource development on topical themes.
• Promote geoscience roles nationally.
• Embed earth science teaching into primary and secondary schools to improve A Level uptake and increase graduate numbers of geology.
• To lobby for appropriate initial training courses for potential Earth Science teachers.
• To lobby for earth science to be a visible and proected aspect of the national curriculum.
• To promote the relevance of earth science in protecting our planet.
• A platform for the sharing of ideas and resources between members.
• Become an independent authority informally considering exam appeals.
• Establish a quality kite mark for earth science teaching resources.

How should ESTA develop to better serve you?

Members gave us a lot of answers to this question. The most often repeated answers were:

• Timely updates of earth science news, education policy and association activities.
• More in-person events, both social and educational.
• More newsletters.
• A website offering resources for earth science teaching.
• More opportunities for networking.

TES

92% of members felt that TES should continue to be published, with nearly 60% believing that it should be available in both paper and electronic forms.

88% told us that it is a useful aspect of membership. 29% felt that there should be an option to pay a reduced fee in order to not receive TES.