Priory Geography Development Plan 2008

1. Priory School Specialist Sports College Geography Department
Development Plan Jan 2008 – July 2011
General aims
Learning and undertaking activities in geography contribute to achievement of the curriculum aims for all young people to become:
 successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
 confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
 responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
The study of geography stimulates an interest in and a sense of wonder about places. It helps young people make sense of a complex
and dynamically changing world. It explains where places are, how places and landscapes are formed, how people and their
environment interact, and how a diverse range of economies, societies and environments are interconnected. It builds on pupils' own
experiences to investigate places at all scales, from the personal to the global.
Geographical enquiry encourages questioning, investigation and critical thinking about issues affecting the world and people's lives, now
and in the future. Fieldwork is an essential element of this. Pupils learn to think spatially and use maps, visual images and new
technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS), to obtain, present and analyse information. Geography inspires pupils to
become global citizens by exploring their own place in the world, their values and their responsibilities to other people, to the
environment and to the sustainability of the planet.

2. What does Geography at Priory aim to do?
 To stimulate a sense of wonder about places
 To help you to make sense of the complex and sometimes crazy world around you
 To inspire and show you how you can change your world
 To help you to explore your geography
 To give you the skills to make it in the future – whatever your choices are

3. Red – School Improvement Plan Links Blue – Humanities Improvement Plan Links Italic text denotes actions taken
Green – Links to HIAS action points Sept 2007
Development plan to be shared with staff during next Department meeting. Also to be placed onto Intranet in line with school policy.
KEY ISSUES SPECIFIC TARGETS TARGET
DATE
ACTION TO BE TAKEN/ BY WHOM MONITORED
BY
1. Raising
Standards
KeyStage3
1.1. Update all Schemes of
Work in line with new
National Curriculum.
(1.2) (3.3) (1.16) (1.21)
(1.25) (2.32) (3.32)
Feb-July 2008. Staff to trial and evaluate(includingstudentvoice) new units (All) DRg to trial new
Environment unit from Feb 2008 to develop exemplar material and to provide opps. for
staff to observe practice. MCa to trial Sport unit with Year 8 from Mar 2008. MBa
trailing thinking skills activities.
DRg – dept
meeting
Easter 2008. Write and finaliseKS3 curriculummap.This will includehowprogression will bemade
throughout KS3 especially in theacquisition of skills.(DRg to lead with input from all)
Suggestions for units shared at Subject Meeting 21st Jan. Staff to feedback ideas. Ideas
for curriculum mapping include the ‘target’ model available from the GA.
CL Hums
By July 2008. Write and resource entire Year 7 to includea lesson level SoW with differentiation,
challengeand homework opportunities highlighted. (Core homeworks to be consistent
across theteam and posted on the internet in linewith school policy.) Also to including
common assessments.Teachingunits to use a range of imaginativeteachingand
learningmethods. Review Year 9 Hazards Unit.Implement new unit for Sept 2008.(All
staff) (DRg to lead with staff to assistwith writingand resourcing)
DRg / CL Hums
By July 2009 Review current Year 8. Writeand resources new Year 8. (DRg and all staff responsible
for individual units)
DRg / CL Hums
By July 2010 Review and rewrite Year 9 curriculum.(DRg with all staff) DRg / CL Hums

4. Ongoing Investigate links with local business and community for community involvement.
Liaise with EBP through KRi (DRg) BBC School Report, EBP,
JDb
Ongoing Monitor progress to ensure the consistentdelivery of new SoW. Formal and informal
monitoringstrategies (DRg). Establish a systemof peer observation whereby all team
members see each other to sharegood practice.(All) Providea spaceto sharesuccesses
and risks taken. Continue to embed and evaluate in July 2010
DRg
Ongoing Better data collection and analysisusingthe school Level Update Class Yearly
Statements (LUCYS) and Hybrid Data System (HDS) and Hums KS4 tracker, to allowpupil
trackingand intervention. INSET needed. (DRg, all)
CL Hums
ASAP, after
Easter 2008
Audit existingKS3 SoW and ensure consistentdelivery while new KS3 is being
introduced (All) DRg to trial a short population unit with Year 8 leading to creation of
resources and common assessment task. This can then be internally moderated
DRg
1.2. Improve transition
between KS2 and 3.
July 2008. Contact feeder primary schoolsto investigatefuture jointprojects and to establish the
skills and knowledgebase already attained through geography and allied projects
teaching in KS2 (DRg) Joint project in place supported with RG grant money for summer
term 2010
MBa
1.3. Develop Humanities
curriculum projects
and establish links
with other subjects in
preparation for New
KS3 Curriculum.
Ongoing Work with CL’s in History and RE on possible South Africa project. Consider further
development of the Language and History visit to the north of France and the war
graves. Approach CL’s of core subjects with a view to developing common
assessments.(CL Hums)
KeyStage4
1.4. Raise attainment in
public examinations to
school average.
Specifically address
gender bias and SEN in
July 2008 and
ongoing
Revision / CW workshops from Jan 2008 for current Year 11. To focus especially on case
studies.Extra workshops to be offered duringEaster and May half term holidays.(GCSE
subjectteachers) Coursework workshops run by DRg and MBa Jan 2008. Morning
workshops and flexible workshops provided in 2009.Clashes with core subjects and
issue.

5. pupil attainment. (3.2)
(1.22) (1.25) (2.21)
(3.2)
From Easter
2008
Easter 2010
Common coursework task with current Year 10.Shared assessmentcriteria,fieldwork
for primary data collection for all currentYear 10. Action HIAS recommendations on the
supportgiven to coursework candidates. (GCSE teachingstaff) Common task set and
completed in 2008 and 2009.Controlled assessment linked to OCR B now important.
Mock CA needed to train pupils in independent high level. CPD needed for all team
DRg to coord
From Easter
2008
Develop a systematic approach for Coursework KS 4 including a timetable. (DRg and
MBa) Discussed subject meeting Feb 11th.MBa made a number of key suggestions
including contact with parents via a letter and the structure of the fieldwork day.
Ongoing Use current Year 10 examination results and Hums KS4 tracker to identify
underperforming pupils.Run workshops to improve performance. (CL Hums to support
in data analysis) Shareand involvepupilswith their target grades. Use Geography target
sheets based on Hums template.Trackers are informing CL interventions, although new
Whole School data systems are providing better data
CL Hums
Ongoing Change the Year 10 and 11 examinations to reflect challengeactual GCSE papers . Make
use of Edexcel’s exam wizard available
http://www.edexcel.org.uk/quals/gcse/geography/gcse/1312/ (DRg. INSET for MBa)
Ongoing Use past papers throughout KS4 in order to develop exam skills.(GCSE teaching staff)
(1.17) Past papers now embedded across the department
Ongoing Better data collection and analysisusingthe school Level Update Class Yearly
Statements (LUCYS) and Hybrid Data System (HDS), to enhance pupil trackingand
intervention. INSET needed. (DRg, all) Now standardised assessments
CL Hums
Ongoing Data used to identify G+T and SEN pupils. These pupils to be tracked and intervention
put in place early in Year 10. (All) To include early contact with parents (stock of
standard lettersto be produced (MBa)) Inset needed for all staff. To link with school
policies on interventions.
DRg and CL
Hums
Ongoing Revise existingKS4 SoW to identify opportunities for common assessments and the
strengthen casestudy links.Providelinks to assist pupilson department blog and
intranet. (GCSE subjectstaff)

6. 1.5. Review current GCSE
Specification and
select a more
appropriate
specification following
KS4 review. (1.2)
Specifications
availablefrom
Sept 2008
Review new GCSE specificationsand selectmost suitablefor Priory students.(GCSE
subjectstaff) DRg has used links with the GA to investigate early drafts of specifications.
OCR B Specification chosen partly in response to Student Voice
By July 2009
Feb 2010
Revise and resource SoW for Year 10 (2009-2010) Done Theme 1 Rivers and Coasts
Rewrite Theme 2 Population and Settlement
DRg
GeneraldevelopmentsacrossbothKeyStages
1.6. Ensure that
department is
consistent in the
application of existing
school policies.
Especially with
relation to marking,
assessment,
homework, target
setting, literacy and
SoW production.
Ongoing DRg to receive INSET from CL Hums and monitor team as per school policy.INSET v
ia subjectmeetings. (All) Redraft and update department handbook to includesubject
specific guidancein the application of school policies.Aversion of this to be made
availableon the intranet(link to 4.4 below).(All)
Ongoing
By Dec 2010
Set up a programme of self evaluation thatfollows the schools existingSTEP procedure
and uses Hums faculty SEF format and tools.Work towards GS/RGS(IBG) SGQM. (CL
Hums) Process informing team targets and teaching.
1.7. Replace KS 3
summative
assessments (1.1)
Ongoing. Yr 7
in placeby July
2008
Phaseout existingsummative, exam style assessments in KS 3. To be replaced with a
range of levelled assessments.Includepupil speak assessmentcriteria to allowprogress
to Level 6+ (All)
Ongoing Units to be trailed in order to create exemplar materials and to allowdiscussion atDept
meetings. (DRg and MCi) Suitable classes at a range of abilities identified by half term.
Trials to begin after Feb half term.
Ongoing Observation of DRg duringAfL lessons.INSET duringsubjectmeeting on usea range of
AfL techniques.(All) Established
Sept 2008 Ensure that Assessment criteria to be shared with pupils for all assessments.Share
criteria with parents via VLE (All) Assessments rewritten and available on staff intranet
and teacher blogs – awaiting decision on format for VLE

7. Ongoing Introduce peer and self assessmentin Geography. (All) (1.11)
After Easter
2008
Introduce assessmentportfolios into Year 7 to collectassessmentevidence. Use
assessments to conduct moderation in levellingpupil work.(MBa to lead with all staff to
contribute)
DRg
1.8. Make Geography a key
subject in delivering the
Global Dimension at Priory
School.
Ongoing
Map new SoW to the 8 key concepts of the global dimension.Ensurethat each new
SoW has an opportunity to develop these. (All) For example Human Rights could be
introduced into the Sport unit – child labour, Interdependence, Sustainability and
Diversity are key concepts in new 2008 curriculum. Further links here between other
Hums subjects, especially Cit.(HWa) Strong Literacy, Cit, His and Sci links identified
Ensure that all subjectstaff areaware of the global dimension –possibleHIAS Inset
opportunity / Twilightsession (All)
Use school’s existinglinksto providea global dimension South Africa,Germany, France
and Holland.Investigatepossibleuses.For example South Africa Blogproject set up by
CL ay pervious school could bea model.
1.9. Make Geography a key
subject in delivering Every
Child Matters at Priory
School.
Ongoing Link new SoW into ECM as they are written. Provide Insetto increaseawareness of ECM
with staff. Possiblelinkscould include:
 Be healthy – sustainableliving,food miles.
 Be safe– involvement in risk assessmentfor on and off sitefieldtrips.
 Enjoy and achieve –increaseresults atboth Key Stages. Increased use of pupil
voice.
 Make a positivecontribution – opportunities for pupils to contribute to school
policies involvingtheenvironment. Also to contactlocal MP’s and organise
petitions.
 Achieve economic well being – introduce enterprise activities,for example
working to a budget when

8. Liaisewith HIAS Geography inspector for further ideas and support,
1.10. Develop the use of
pupil voice in order to
develop SoW.
Ongoing Use surveymonkey.com and pupil interviews to gather pupil voiceto inform topic
decisions.Forma student panel for geography of pupils who input into SoW. Feed
information into SEF and use Hums pupil questionnaires (DRg,All) online questionnaire
trialled with a Year 7 group Feb 2008.
2. ICT and
resources
2.1. To become the leading
subject in the use of ICT.
(2.2) (1.24) (2.12) (2.24)
Ongoing Develop use of VLE and Weblogs to support courses atKS 3 and 4. Set up email contact
availableto pupils (DRgto trial and provideInsetto department staff. Initially usefor
KS4 support) Weblogs will supportthe VLE input as they can be updated daily by subject
staff and therefore respond to pupil needs more quickly.
Ongoing Ensure that new SoW alongwith core homeworks are availableon the school Intranet
(MBa)
By Easter 2008 Evaluation of current stock led by CurriculumLeader (All). CL bid for development fund
to 2007-08 enablereplacement and modernisation of resources as required
Ongoing To enablepupils to choose whether to shareand present their work through the use of
ICT. (DRg to demonstrate use and shareoutcomes with subjectstaff) Unequal access to
eLearning opportunities causing an issue here
Ongoing Investigate a range of GIS packages and options to ensure compliancewith 2008 KS3
orders and allowusefor KS4 coursework projects.Includethe use of Google Earth,
Infomapper and Local Studies. Ensure that ICT use in embedded within all SoW(DRg)
By Easter 2008 Development fund bid for laptops and projector for all geography teachingrooms.
Portableprojector for non-specialists.(DRg) Team providingwith netbooks in 2009 from
department capitation

9. By Easter 2008 Investigate the possibility of webcam and weather station to provideprimary data
collection and possibleG+T projects (JDb)
2.2. Secure the learning
resources required to
successfully deliver the
new National Curriculum,
with special attention to
ICT provision.
Ongoing
3. Fieldwork 3.1. Develop programme
for learning outside of the
classroom across all Year
groups (2.2) (1.23) (2.31)
In placefrom
Sept 2008
Identify opportunities for Year 7 field work. IntroduceSparsholttrip into Year 7
Environment Unit (All)
Ongoing Identify school siteopportunities for fieldwork duringKS3. Trial FW opportunities on
site. (All) DRg and MCi using school grounds during Year 7 Weather and Climate unit
Ongoing Liaisewith ClareHillman (LearningOutsideof the classroomcoordinator) to explore
opportunities for learningoutsideof the classroom. (DRG)
In placeby May
2008
Introduce a data collection fieldwork day for Year 10 to tie in with coursework. (GCSE
subjectstaff) Opportunities discussed during dept meeting 11th Feb. Dates identified.
MBa to organise.
DRg
Ongoing Identify and investigatefeasibility of residential fieldwork in Year 10 to support physical
geography aspects and personal development through outdoor activities.(GCSE Subject
Staff)
4. Developing
Teachers
4.1. Ensuring that Non-
specialists are supported.
Allactions
ongoingand
phasedinfor
Sept2008.
INSET on new Year 7 curriculum.Invitenon specialists to department away day.(DRg
and subject specialists)
Team teaching and observation of specialiststaff by non-specialists (All)

10. Investigate new textbook resources to supportnon-specialists (DRg) Geog.1 identified
as a possible resource to us. Also Folens new series. Both use a range of teaching and
learning.
All SoW and resources to be placed on the intranet. (SMc)
New KS3 SoW to provide a lesson by lesson guide and includedifferentiation and
homework guidance.(All)
Investigate moving the Geography subjectmeeting to allowall teachers of Geography to
attend. (DRg)
4.2. Establish a culture of
sharing good practice.
Ongoing Establish a peer observation within the department. (All) DRg and MBa have identified
possible opportunities. DRg to notify dept of opportunities.
Ongoing Upload staff resources onto the school intranet.(All)
Ongoing Identify, bid for and attend relevant CPD opportunities.To includevisits to other schools
(especially local Hums specialistcollege) (All)
4.3. Ensure that staff are
able to implement changes
Ongoing CL to attend CPD on data use and intervention (DRg, CL Hums), HIAS AST supportto help
evaluate new SoW, Staff to identify trainingneeds and bid for CPD, includingvisits to
other schools (All)
Summer term
2008.
Whole day off-site Insetin the summer term for the department to work on KS3
curriculum.(DRg to book.)
4.4. Update and revise
department Handbook
Ongoing To includesubjectspecific guidancein the application of school policies.Aversion of
this to be made availableon the intranet. (Link to 1.6 above) Guidance for non-specialist
teachers of Geography. (DRg and MBa)
5. Classroom
Environment
5.1. Create a classroom
atmosphere that
encourages geographical
By Easter 2008 ‘Banned Words’to be displayed and used in all geography teachingrooms.(All)

11. questioning and supports
learning
Ongoing Investigate feasibility of improvingrewards within the department/ humanities faculty.
(All includingCLHums)
By Easter 2008 Establish theuse of an ‘Image of the week’ in geography classrooms to stimulate
interest and a sense of wonder. (All)
By Easter 2008 Display theaims of Geography at Priory in all teachingrooms and on a corridor display
(DRg to create and pass onto staff) Aims written in pupil speak during KS3 Conference 13
Feb. To be shared with staff at next dept meeting.