You can see which schools have previously gained the award on the GA website.
This is a process which takes schools around a year to go through, and is an opportunity for the entire department to reflect on what is being done well, and provide evidence that it is offering a quality geography education, and that staff are undertaking appropriate professional development.
Schools applying for the award have access to a VLE which provides a growing range of examples of quality geography, as well as the forms that help create a portfolio of evidence. The choice of evidence is important.
This year, we had over 40 entries to moderate over a two day period. These fell into several categories:
- schools that were applying for SGQM for the first time
- schools that had gained SGQM and wanted to go for Centre of Excellence status (CoE)
- schools that were applying for CoE for the first time
- schools that had previously gained the SGQM or CoE and needed to re-accredit their status as three years had passed since they first gained the award
I always enjoy the process although it is mentally and physically challenging. Schools spend many hours putting together the application and it is important that they are all read, and assessed carefully against the criteria that are used. The team that moderates the quality marks have been involved with the process from the start, and we now have a good sense for what we are expecting to see, but every year we are impressed with the quality and innovation that we see in the applications. This year was no exception with some of the best folders that we have ever seen. There are many times when we say to each other "I'd like to work in this school!"
Schools that have applied will hear shortly how they have done, and receive their certificates.
The sooner you start your application for 2013 the better...
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