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
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Catholic comprehensive in Woking, Surrey
94% A*-C in 2009 at GCSE level
Ofsted 2007- 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
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Meeting with a purpose
Positive communication
Regular emailing
Informal
We all get on and make an effort to help each other
9.Professional Development
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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