Transcript Use this for title page with pictures

Geography in schools: standards and best
practice
Leszek Iwaskow HMI
National Adviser for Geography, England
Royal Geographical Society; 17 May 2013
Secondary headlines

For the first time in over a decade
numbers taking GCSE
geography have increased.

Relatively weak achievement in
Key Stage 3, particularly of the
more able, often contrasts with
the good progress of those in
examination classes (as
determined by exam results)

A lack of opportunity for writing
at length limits opportunities for
students, particularly the most
able, to show their understanding
of geography
Secondary headlines

Poorly developed core geographical knowledge remains an issue –
students do not have a coherent picture of the world around them – places
are often taught without clear reference to location

At Key Stage 4, teaching has become more functional with exam
questions often the focus of a lesson rather than the development of
knowledge and understanding in the subject

The geography curriculum is currently an area of weakness and of
increasing concern.

Most schools are not meeting statutory requirements for fieldwork at Key
Stage 3 or the use of geographical information systems (GIS), including in
examination classes

The lack of involvement in subject specific professional development
has resulted in many secondary departments stagnating and will not leave
them in a secure position to cope with the changes expected to the
curriculum over the next few years.
Exploding the myths about good
teaching!

There is often an
insistence by senior
managers that lessons
follow a prescriptive
formula (rigid 3 part
structure)

This does not allow
for spontaneity,
creativity or real
challenge, especially
for more able students

Pace. There seems to
be a belief that the
faster the lesson, the
better the learning.

While pace is
important – teachers
too often concentrate
on the pace of their
planned activities
rather than the pace
of learning.

The number of
activities - some teachers
appear to believe that the
more activities they can
cram into the lesson, the
more effective it will be.

This is often
counterproductive, as
activities are changed so
often that pupils do not
complete tasks and
learning is not
consolidated or extended.

Over-detailed and
bureaucratic lesson
plans. Teachers are
encouraged to plan
individual lessons in
considerable detail.

Inspectors sometimes note
that excessive detail within
these plans causes
teachers to lose sight of
the central focus on pupils’
learning

An inflexible approach
to planning lessons.
School policies sometimes
insist that all lesson plans
should always follow the
same structure, no matter
what is being taught.

In addition, evidence
suggests that teachers
often feel that they should
not alter their plans during
the lesson.

Limited time for
students to work
independently. Pupils
rarely had extended
periods to read, write or
discuss issues in class.

Inspectors observed
lessons where pupils were
asked to self- or peerassess work before they
had been able to complete
more than a sentence or
two.

Constant review of
learning. Significant
periods of time are
often spent by
teachers on getting
pupils to articulate
their learning, even
where this limited
their time to complete
activities and thereby
interrupted their
learning!
Key Stage 3
‘Getting around – a travel plan for the
local area’
Pupils should be taught to:

understand through the use of detailed place-based exemplars at a variety
of scales, the key processes in: human geography relating to ….population
…… economic activity ….urbanisation, and the use of natural resources.

build on their knowledge of ….maps …. And use these geographical tools
routinely in the classroom and the field

interpret Ordnance Survey maps in the classroom and the field, including
using six-figure co-ordinates and scale, topographical and other thematic
mapping, and aerial and satellite photographs

use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to view, analyse and interpret
places and data

use fieldwork to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from geographical
data, using multiple sources of increasingly complex information
Key Stage 3
‘Discovering landscapes’
Case Studies:

Improving provision in geography – developing subject knowledge and
skills ( Greenford High School – Ealing)

An enquiry based approach to learning – how practical demonstration
helps pupils to learn (St Anne’s C of E Primary School – Durham)

Excellent geography teaching – how structured scaffolding enables
students to compile detailed in-depth case studies ( Greenbank High School
– Sefton)

Improving teaching and learning using the outdoor environment – utilising
the rich resources of the outdoor environment to improve provision with
pupils and learning ( Lavington Park Federation – West Sussex)

A creative curriculum to support teaching and learning in geography – how
a school skilfully integrates geography into a creative curriculum
(Corsham Primary School – Wiltshire)
Ofsted’s National Adviser web pages

Keep up-to-date with Ofsted's work in history by visiting the
dedicated history web pages on the Ofsted website at
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/our-expertknowledge/geography

National Adviser: email – [email protected]