Introduction
The Primary and Secondary Geography Quality Marks can underpin the development of geography in your school. They are linked to the Ofsted Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) and support the TDA’s new Professional Standards for Teachers.
Primary Geography Quality Mark
The Primary Geography Quality Mark is an award for primary schools who wish to achieve recognition for the quality and progress in geography leadership, curriculum development, learning and teaching in their school.
Secondary Geography Quality Mark
The 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 at Key Stage 3, supporting the teaching of quality geography and promoting department leadership and management.
‘Quality Geography for All’ Conferences
These Conferences for primary and KS3 will explore the nature, effects and impact of the Geography Quality Marks. They aim to provide a great opportunity to discuss and develop what we mean by ‘quality geography’ in both the primary and secondary phases.
Secondary Geography Quality Mark
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.