Geography- Teaching and Learning Strategies to achieve excellence at every level Louisa Benzies Head of Geography St John the Baptist School

An overview of SJB Catholic comprehensive in Woking, Surrey 94% A*-C in 2009 at GCSE level Ofsted Outstanding Geography GCSE 91% A*-C Geography A/S 60% Geography A2 82%

Aims of the session To know 10 strategies which help to make Geography at SJB successful To be able to adapt and apply these to your departments

1. Get the right people in your team

2. Outstanding learning and teaching Do your department know what outstanding teaching and learning looks like? Do you make this the focus for your meetings and time together? Competition within department to be outstanding

3. Sharing Within department: -The vision -Resources -Lesson plans -Ideas -Problems -Student care -Jobs to do

4. Achievement

5. Innovation Up top date resources- Haiti, Eyjafjallajokull; South Africa 2010 Have the belief and the courage to try new things

6. Accessibility Accessible resources and accessible staff

7. Learning Environment

8. Effective Communication Meeting with a purpose Positive communication Regular ing Informal We all get on and make an effort to help each other

9.Professional Development Peer coaching Peer mentoring Observations Learning new skills

10. A passion for what we do Being a geek is cool! Making the students passionate

Aims of the session To know 10 strategies which help to make Geography at SJB successful To be able to adapt and apply these to your departments