Geography Teaching Today

The Key Stage 3 Secondary Geography Quality Mark is a framework which has been developed by the Geographical Association to enable subject leaders to raise the standards of geography in school, supporting the teaching of quality geography and promoting department leadership and management.

The overarching strength of the Quality Mark is its capacity to act as an effective 'lever of change' for the development of geography in the schools that take part.

Undertaking the Quality Mark engages all staff in the department in a process of reflection about how well the department is achieving its aims and where its priorities lie. The template is based on the whole school Self-Evaluation Form (SEF), well-honed by Ofsted, thus matching the generic SEF which each head teacher goes through annually in reviewing the school's work. Nothing could be more relevant to a subject leader's consideration of how to act next, to improve his or her department.

The whole team takes part in an ongoing process of curriculum review, identifying priorities for departmental CPD, sharing good practice around a framework for encouraging creative and critical thinking about curriculum making and developing a dynamic, relevant KS3.

The introduction document provides further information, while the GA website containts full details and all documentation.

Download: SGQM Introduction
Website: Geographical Association