Principles for constructing a scheme of work
The following guidance may be helpful for teachers who want to review or create their own scheme of work.
Defining a scheme of work
A scheme of work for geography should:
- take account of the circumstances of the school and its aims and purposes;
- include a long-term plan for years 7-9 which is agreed and understood by the whole department;
- be relevant to the needs of pupils in school and recognise the circumstances in which it will be used (including resources);
- set out what is to be taught and list key activities consistent with an agreed timetable allocation for geography for each year, for each teaching group;
- be based on the requirements for geography at key stage 3 and enable pupils to achieve at a level appropriate to their ability in terms of the level descriptions;
- make clear the contribution of geography to whole school aims and priorities (usually in the form of a policy statement).
When developing a long-term plan, teachers may find it helpful to consider:
- the balance between:
- knowledge and understanding of places
- knowledge and understanding of patterns and processes
- knowledge and understanding of environmental change and sustainable development
- geographical enquiry and skills
- the balance beween knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes;
- how content may best be sequenced over three years in relation to pupils' maturity and intellectual development;
- how to check pupils' progress;
- the practicalities of organising teaching geography, eg deployment of staff and accommodation, the timing of fieldwork activities during the school year (a minimum of one fieldwork activity per year);
- how geography links to the wider curriculum;
- the aims and purposes of geography at key stage 3, and the contribution the subject makes to the whole school curriculum in terms of pupils' experiences;
- ways in which pupils make progress in learning geography.
Evaluating a geography department's scheme of work once it is written
How far do the department's long-term plan and the medium-term plans/units:
- provide planning which is clearly linked to the national curriculum programme of study and level descriptions?
- provide a secure base from which teachers can plan lessons on a daily or weekly basis (short-term plans) to meet the needs of all pupils in the class?
- show how geographical ideas and skills are built up in an organised, systematic and rigorous way based on learning that has already taken place?
- show links between the areas of the geography curriculum including geographical enquiry skills?
- link teaching activities to the learning they are intended to promote?
- identify what pupils are expected to learn, both within a unit and by the end of a specified period, and how pupils' learning may be assessed?
- provide opportunities to develop literacy, numeracy and ICT and, where appropriate, links with other subjects and curriculum areas?
- give indications of the time needed to teach each unit?
- encourage good practice in teaching?
- allow for a measure of flexibility when they are used?
- identify type and use of key resources and make use of a resource range appropriate to the age and ability of pupils?
- identify key ideas in the subject so that concepts are built up in an organised, systematic and rigorous way?
- inspire pupils and motivate them to continue studying geography?
When reviewing and revising an existing scheme of work to take account of both subject and other curriculum developments, departments may wish to consider whether it:
- covers the revised key stage 3 programme of study;
- highlights where literacy, mathematics, ICT, key skills and citizenship can be developed;
- shows how the knowledge, skills and understanding in the revised key stage 2 programme of study form a basis for work at key stage 3;
- shows the expected progression across key stage 3 and in individual units with reference to the expectations in the DfES/QCA Geography Scheme of Work;
- is challenging for pupils of different abilities and aptitudes in each year of the key stage;
- motivates pupils to learn and make progress and continue with the subject to key stage 4;
- enables them to understand and review their own learning and set targets for improvement;
- indicates opportunities for day-to-day assessment for learning and for summative assessment;
- shows how learning objectives and activities can be tailored to meet the needs of different pupils;
- supports progression into key stage 4.
|
