To inspire is not to amaze. To inspire is to awaken the spirit of amazement in children. Okri, B (2002)

Changing circumstances? A 21st century curriculum should prepare young people to recognise their roles and responsibilities as members of this global society. They need to be able to understand the global context of their local lives, examine their own values and attitudes in relation to the challenges they face and see how they might play an active role in responding to these challenges. Source QCAQCA

Thinking Quality Geography ~ what does it look like?...quality geography engages pupil interest, captures imagination and stimulates enthusiasm for learning...

Do your pupils participate in Living Geography? Geography that: Embraces young peoples geography and experiences Is current and future oriented Is local but set in wider (global) contexts Raises questions of change in environments Encourages a critical understanding of a range of ideas such as sustainable development A Different View

The Secondary Geography Quality Mark aims to: Identify and celebrate a quality geography curriculum Provide a framework for subject leaders to analyse the curriculum and engage in curriculum making Provide a framework and a tool to help geography teachers clarify their own CPD needs Improve for all pupils the quality of the educational experience through geography Promote and support the development of a modernised curriculum for geography Raise and recognise the professionalism of geography teaching Enthuse young people with the relevance of geography to everyday life, employment and citizenship Raise the profile of geography

Reflection… What kind of geographical learning do we want for our pupils? What do our pupils need and want? What are their personal geographies and how can we use them? What kind of curriculum do we want to make? What will our pupils make of it? Where are we? What are our departments strengths and interests? SGQM provides a framework for Geography departments to consider and respond to these questions, leading to the recognition and celebration of quality geography

SGQM enables you to.. achieve recognition for the quality and progress in geography leadership, curriculum development, learning and teaching in your school raise the standards of secondary geography yet further, to support the teaching of quality geography and promote department leadership and management tackle your SEF – fully trackable to the new 2009 SEF

What might count as evidence to support a SGQM application? Examples of pupil work Schemes of work Teaching resources Department handbooks Department websites Photographs of displays Minutes of meetings Published resources Pupil comments Photographs of fieldwork Ofsted reports Lesson observations Data Centre of Excellence Witness statements Evidence of collaboration Organisation of geography competition Planning and hosting a CPD event for colleagues Guiding another school through the Quality Mark process

How to plan, prepare and apply for the award 1. Subject leader and department complete self- evaluation to establish the level which best describes the quality of geography in school 2. Identify areas for development 3. Register with the GA and pay the appropriate fee 4. Provide a commentary for each section of the statement table 5. Select TWO pieces of evidence for each of the nine sections of the SGQM statement table 6. Submit evidence December/May

Comments from schools …..We have always had an open mind as to what we teach and how we teach, preferring innovation and change to stagnation and repetition. So when we had the chance to pilot SGQM we knew we were undertaking a process of national importance – a sense of setting off into the unknown.

Personal and professional challenge combined at a time of great change in what and how we were teaching. …….. A thorough overhaul of our lessons was needed and SGQM came at just the right time to establish whether the department was on the right tracks. A valuable, reflective process of continuous improvement Comments from schools

The process of applying in itself helps you and your department to take a step back and look at what you are doing. It also gives you a personal satisfaction that you have been nationally recognised as a geography teacher / department. The school has had good publicity too - an article was featured on us achieving the SGQM in the local press and this clearly is beneficial to the school. I also think it gives pupils and community partners confidence in what we are aiming to do and are actually achieving. Comments from schools

I personally feel the award has really lifted so many of us including the students, The students are so proud of this award especially since were the first school in Warrington - whilst on the fieldtrip one student said to me after another school passed us – I bet they dont have a quality mark! (this made me feel so proud). Comments from schools

celebrating quality SGQM – celebrating quality For more information or to register your interest contact Justin Woolliscroft at Julie Beattie at or visit