Geography… so the saying goes, .. is all around us. Sadly, despite it being permanently topical, rich in cross-curricular links, ideal for socio-economic debates (not to mention field trips!) Geography is often far from “all around us” in many secondary schools. Whether this is down to the way it is taught in individual schools, or to the unfortunate fact that it is a subject often given to reluctant non-specialists, some Geography departments struggle to get sufficient numbers at KS4 and the GCSE numbers are dropping nationally.
At Our Lady’s High School Preston however, the opposite is true, and this is all down to the outstanding work of Principal Teacher of Geography, John Hankin. In the time he has been at the school, the department was awarded the prestigious Geography Quality Mark; the school and department were rated Outstanding by Ofsted and Geography has become the most popular optional subject.
How does he do it? With great passion and commitment as you’d expect, but also with determination to draw only the best from his pupils. I think differentiation is really important, says John, but that doesn’t mean lowering standards. All the pupils are challenged, and encouraged to learn collaboratively too. And these are not just words: in a mixed ability Geography GCSE class last year, 100% achieved A* - B (of which 70% were A*)
Not surprisingly, the Geography department was one singled out in the school’s 2012 Ofsted report: All students make outstanding progress because teachers plan lessons that are expertly matched to the needs of learners.
The next date for John’s popular course Raising Standards in Geography through Engaging Learners will be published soon. John will share with you his strategies and resources for effective revision and Assessment for Learning and will take you through how best to plan lessons which differentiate while still challenging each individual child.
As Principal Teacher, John has a full timetable, so dates for the course are limited. If you’d like to be informed of the next date or for any further information, please get in touch via our contact form.
At Our Lady’s High School Preston however, the opposite is true, and this is all down to the outstanding work of Principal Teacher of Geography, John Hankin. In the time he has been at the school, the department was awarded the prestigious Geography Quality Mark; the school and department were rated Outstanding by Ofsted and Geography has become the most popular optional subject.
How does he do it? With great passion and commitment as you’d expect, but also with determination to draw only the best from his pupils. I think differentiation is really important, says John, but that doesn’t mean lowering standards. All the pupils are challenged, and encouraged to learn collaboratively too. And these are not just words: in a mixed ability Geography GCSE class last year, 100% achieved A* - B (of which 70% were A*)
Not surprisingly, the Geography department was one singled out in the school’s 2012 Ofsted report: All students make outstanding progress because teachers plan lessons that are expertly matched to the needs of learners.
The next date for John’s popular course Raising Standards in Geography through Engaging Learners will be published soon. John will share with you his strategies and resources for effective revision and Assessment for Learning and will take you through how best to plan lessons which differentiate while still challenging each individual child.
As Principal Teacher, John has a full timetable, so dates for the course are limited. If you’d like to be informed of the next date or for any further information, please get in touch via our contact form.
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