At a recent presentation hosted by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), teachers and educational leaders from across the UK shared how they are transforming learning using Esri’s MapMaker.
Esri MapMaker is a free, web-based digital mapping tool created with National Geographic for schools. It enables pupils to explore 2D/3D satellite maps, measure distances, overlay historical data, and track live geographic events without downloading software.
"I’m here because of people who are missing... the faces that I don’t see in my professional life where I think they should be—faces that are missing from the geospatial industry."
— Dr Katie Hall
Katie emphasised that location-based data is the "hidden glue" behind modern infrastructure—from public transport and supply chains to climate action and hospital planning. Despite an 11% rise in demand for geospatial talent, supply is only growing by 2%, leaving rewarding careers unfilled.
Crucially for primary educators, Katie pointed out a striking finding from the 2025 Further Education Choices Survey: almost half of young people make their core career decisions while still in primary school.
"I was a teacher, and I never want to stand in front of teachers and ask them to do more, because I know that you already do more than enough. What I want to do is give you the tools that help you."
— Dr Katie Hall
In a live demonstration, Kiaran Ratcliffe from Esri UK showed how MapMaker turns static geography lessons into active, inquiry-based investigations. By switching base maps, adding satellite layers, and using measuring tools, pupils can immediately grasp complex ideas like scale, land use, and physical landscapes.
Local-to-Global Thinking: Teachers start with familiar locations—such as the school field or local village—before zooming out to global phenomena like the River Nile or Mount Vesuvius.
Inquiry-Driven Learning: Rather than being told facts, pupils make observations, formulate questions, and analyse satellite imagery directly.
Inclusivity & Multilingual Maps: Switching base-map language settings allows English as an Additional Language (EAL) pupils to see their heritage languages represented on digital maps, fostering a deeper sense of connection and belonging.
At Lawford Primary, MapMaker was pilot-tested in Reception, Year 2, and Year 6 before being embedded across the entire school:
"The children have just naturally got used to it, and it's taken them less and less time to kind of settle into that format."
— Year 3 Teacher, Lawford Primary
Greystoke Primary embedded MapMaker into their computing curriculum, giving pupils dedicated practice weeks to master digital skills before applying them in geography lessons:
Biomes & Climate: Year 5 pupils layered biome maps with transparency controls over terrain views to analyse climate zones relative to the Equator.
Historical Land Use: Using the Swipe tool, pupils compared historical maps with modern satellite imagery to track urbanisation and local development over time.
Real-World Problem Solving: Pupils designed proposed sites for a new sustainable classroom by combining physical trundle-wheel measurements with digital area calculations on MapMaker.
Celebrating its 150th anniversary, Exning Primary harnessed historical map overlays on touchscreen Chromebooks and iPads to bring the past to life:
"In 3D mode, you can see how tall the mountains are, how deep the water is... It's just better than paper."
— Arlo, Pupil at Exning Primary
"In MapMaker, it's easier when it's in 3D mode... an atlas is flat, and you can't see things inside the actual country."
— Amelia, Pupil at Exning Primary
By giving primary pupils early access to professional-grade spatial tools, we aren't just teaching map skills; we are equipping them with 21st-century critical thinking skills and opening doors to future career possibilities.