Bethany School was one of only 11 Schools worldwide to have been awarded the coveted Geographical Association Centre of Excellence status. These hubs of excellence are pivotal to the Geographical Association’s (GA) desire to spread good practice through the development of local networks of teachers.
The Centre of Excellence award recognises the contribution of schools in disseminating quality approaches to the teaching of geography to colleagues. In these schools geography is led by enthusiastic curriculum leaders who are able to inspire their colleagues.
All the award winners undergo a rigorous moderation process, and the team of assessors were hugely impressed by the manner in which Bethany School are embracing the new opportunities afforded by the curriculum changes at Key Stage 3.
This award, now into its fifth year, reflects the national standard for the teaching of quality geography. It aims to promote effective subject leadership and management so helping subject leaders raise the standards of geography in their schools.
Garry Simmons, Head of Geography at Bethany School said, “We were absolutely delighted with this news which reflects the dedication and enthusiasm of both staff and geography students at Bethany. We would be thrilled if any schools in Kent or further afield want to establish links with us. Our current mission statement is “Inspiring today’s geographers to achieve success with an innovative, contemporary and engaging curriculum experience.” Bethany Geography really is going places”!
You can read more from Garry via his blog post: http://www.garrysimmons.org.uk/2012/09/centre-of-excellence-winners-2012.html
Francie Healy, Headmaster at Bethany School said, “This award is thoroughly deserved. Our dedicated geography teachers are inspirational in the way they deliver the subject and motivate our pupils. The subject is treated as a “live” entity and every major event happening in the world is incorporated into the syllabus be it a Tsunami or the Olympic Games. How I wish this Geography department existed when I was a teenager”.
David Lambert Chief Executive of the GA said, “In the early years of the twenty-first century, there is no more relevant subject in the curriculum than geography, helping young people to understand the world and their place in it. The Secondary Geography Quality Mark provides a ‘must have’ form of professional recognition for geography teams in secondary schools nationally. It is a professional development tool which supports ‘living geography’ in schools and at the same time helps to prepare the Self Evaluation Form for Ofsted”.