This course will help delegates unpick the Ofsted criteria for outstanding geography teaching and learning, and provide support to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. You will reflect upon what you are trying to achieve and critically assess the methods you employ.

The course will review approaches to student progress, assessment without levels and enquiry learning. You will consider how to structure, plan and teach outstanding sequences of lessons, benchmark your current provision and decide what you need to do to move forward.

Session 1 - What is outstanding school geography?

In this session you will analyse outstanding lessons and geography departments.

Session 2 - How do you structure, plan and teach outstanding sequences of lessons?

In this session, you will benchmark your current provision and consider approaches to planning an outstanding geography curriculum.

You will review approaches to:

• pupils making progress
• assessment without levels
• enquiry learning

Session 3 - Practical activities to frame outstanding lessons

These sessions will include:

• Develop innovative and topical – ‘living geography’ – engaging learners in creative and critical thinking about people, place and landscapes.
• Consider a wide range of imaginative teaching strategies that will stimulate active participation in learning and incorporate the regular and effective use of enquiry, fieldwork, geo-media, images, atlases and maps.
• Web material to support and enhance learning.

Presenter profile

David Gardner is currently Lecturer in Education PGCE Secondary Geography at the Institute of Education in London, as well as chair of the Geographical Association’s Education Group, and a freelance consultant. He has also been a Lecturer in Geography Education at Goldsmiths University and the Open University.

David was a secondary geography teacher for 28 years, as well as head of Humanities, ICT Coordinator and Deputy Headteacher. He joined the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the national authority responsible for the national curriculum, curriculum design and qualifications in England in 2005. During this period he was the national adviser for geography, global dimension and sustainable development, going on to lead the implementation of the new secondary curriculum in 2009 and curriculum guidance and support. David is the author of a range of successful geography textbooks and teacher guides often with a focus on using ICT to enhance geography learning.

Feedback from teachers on David’s course

A fantastically detailed course with some up-to-date, relevant and thought-provoking ideas introduced. A very useful day from which I hope to utilise the suggestions and feed back the ideas to my department.
I felt that this course allowed me to see the merits in what we do already, but at the same time demonstrated how I need to approach further planning in a more structured manner.
Excellent, informative course with great resources.
A stimulating and informative course. Gave me a lot to think about.
Thanks to David; a very worthwhile day.

Cost: £145 per delegate which includes lunch and resources; £199 for 2 teachers from the same school.