Bispham High School – Arts CollegeApplication for Centre of Excellence

Section 1: Focused project with a local primary school.

Section 2: Organising and hosting a regional CPD event.

Section 3: Guiding a school through the SGQM process.

Section 4: Creation of a ‘Geography Network’ for teaching staff in the local area.

Section 5: Working with RSPB (regional branch) to deliver the John Muir Award.

Section 1: Focused project with a local primary school.Following the success of the ‘Blackpool Geography Challenge’ (a geography competition run by Bispham High and open to all local feeder primary schools) in 2010 and 2011; it was decided that the department would extend this link by offering to work with local primary schools on designing, planning and delivering SOW at KS2.

Emails were sent to all our feeder schools , offering this opportunity.

Section 1: Focused project with a local primary school.A link was established with Devonshire Primary School. Over the course of a six month period, a unit of work on rivers was planned collaboratively. On 5th March 2013 geography staff from Bispham High also went to Devonshire Primary and delivered a lesson on ‘meanders’ to all Year 5 pupils.The lesson on meanders was chosen to make use of the expertise of specialist geography teachers and to ensure that a specific area of the KS2 programme of study (river processes) was delivered effectively within the primary school.Pupils completed groupwork, written work and were actively involved in the learning process – especially when they had to act out meanders over time!

Bispham High School – Arts College Lesson Plan

Subject:GEOGRAPHY

Date: 5th March 2013

Class details: Year, level, grade, range, SEN Learning intentions:

Year 5 Devonshire Primary School

2 x 1 hour sessions (same lesson taught twice to two different groups of Yr 5 students)

Big Question:What is a meander and how is it formed?Learning Outcomes:To be able to describe what a meander is.To be able to describe how a meander forms.

Big Picture/Prior Learning Key Stage 2 Programme of Study

n/aGeographical Enquiry and Skills2a. to use appropriate geographical vocabulary [for example, temperature, transport, industry]2d. to use secondary sources of information, including aerial photographs [for example, stories, information texts, the internet, satellite images, photographs, videos]Knowledge and Understanding of Patterns and Processes 4b. recognise some physical and human processes [for example, river erosion, a factory closure] and explain how these can cause changes in places and environments.Breadth Of Study6c. water and its effects on landscapes and people, including the physical features of rivers [for example, flood plain] or coasts [for example, beach], and the processes of erosion and deposition that affect them

Differentiation (tasks/outcome)

Differentiation by outcome: some students will be able to describe and begin explain how a meander forms, while some may struggle to describe the basic features of a meander.Differentiation by support: there will be three specialist Geography teachers in the room to help weaker students with understanding and comprehension of the tasks.

Teaching Sequence (think pace, challenge, mini plenaries) Introduce Geography teachers and go through learning objective (the big question) and learning outcomes

with students. Starter: Look at the photograph and describe what a meander is (on ‘post it’ notes). Students describe the

‘characteristics’ of a meander. Keywords on Ppt to help weaker students. Students come to the front with their post-it notes and teacher shares ideas with the class.

Ppt slide 4 – go outside and be a meander – Simon Blackwell in charge here!! Back indoors! Ppt slide 6 and video clips to show that water does not travel in a straight line and the formation

of meanders over time – link this with what students have learnt outside. Introduce the terms ‘erosion’ and ‘deposition’ and link them back to what students learnt outside about the

fastest flow and slowest flow. Students complete ‘My Meander’ worksheet by labeling the river’s fastest flow and where erosion and

deposition would take place. Class discussion to bring ideas together. Students complete question on worksheet ‘ How do meanders form?’. Keywords on sheet to help with ideas. If

some students are struggling at this point they could create their own meander out of ‘play doh’, showing where erosion and deposition would take place on their model.

Peer assessment: 2 stars and a wish on worksheets. Plenary: go back to the big question and learning outcomes and question students.

Success criteria/learning outcome Assessment including AflSome – Will be able to begin to explain why meanders move across a flood plain (very few!).Most – will be able to describe the processes at work in the formation of a meander.All – will be able to describe the basic characteristics of a meander.

Labelling of a meander (fastest flow, erosion, deposition).Answering question ‘How do meanders form’ using keywords to help.Peer assessment of above question using 2 stars and a wish.

Literacy – the teaching of Independent learning/PLTs/SEAL/Citizenship/Enterprise/Cross curricular

Keywords: meander, river, erosion, deposition, fast flow, slow flow, inside bend, outside bend, time.

Resources: Future learning:

Post-it notes, Ppt, projector, speakers, video clips from internet, worksheets, outside yard area, play doh (for very weakest students to create their own meander if needs be).

Students could continue their learning by investigating the following: Erosional processes including hydraulic action and

attrition. River cliffs and slip off slopes (the two landforms

created by meanders). Formation of waterfalls.

Lesson plan

Section 1: Focused project with a local primary school.

Photos and a ‘thank you’ letter from Devonshire

Primary School

Section 2: Organising and hosting a regional CPD event.On Wednesday 27th February 2013 the department hosted a CPD event, delivered by Ordnance Survey. Every primary school in Blackpool and every secondary school in Lancashire was invited to the event via email , posters and an advert on the school website.

Emails, posters and advert on school website to publicise the event.

Section 2: Organising and hosting a regional CPD event.

Names and schools of all those that attended the event.

The training has also allowed Bispham staff to better utilise Digimaps for basic Year 7 GIS mapwork.

Section 3: Guiding a school through the SGQM process.The geography department was approached by Cardinal Allen Catholic High School in Fleetwood to ask for advise and help in making a SGQM submission for 2013. The name of our school was passed on to them by the GA.The department has enthusiastically guided Cardinal Allen through the process. Three meetings have taken place since initial contact and it has provided both schools with a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and best practice in geography teaching.

Evidence of contact between the two schools.

The Bispham geography department was able to offer Cardinal Allen advise on completing the submission form and collecting and collating evidence

Section 4: Creation of a ‘Geography Network’ for teaching staff in the local area.Since July 2011, Blackpool secondary schools have not had access to a specialist foundation learning advisor within the local authority. Prior to July 2011 there had been sporadic Blackpool Geography network meetings for staff, although they had lacked focus and attendance was poor.

In September 2012 the geography department at Bispham, in conjunction with Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, decided to take on the role of organising, planning and hosting meaningful network meetings for Blackpool and Lancashire secondary schools. The focus would initially be to get heads of department on board with the once termly meetings and to then ensure each meeting had a focus. Heads of department would be asked to come along to the meetings, bringing with them resources and planning that could be shared by the whole group.

Preliminary email sent to all Blackpool schools.

Section 4: Creation of a ‘Geography Network’ for teaching staff in the local area.There have now been three meetings held:16th October 2012 at Bispham High School17th January 2013 at Bispham High School2nd May 2013 at Millfield High School

The network meetings are slowly growing in strength and at the moment have 6 secondary schools regularly attending meetings from Blackpool and Lancashire.

Examples of resources shared at network meetings so far.

Section 5: Working with RSPB (regional branch) to deliver the John Muir Award.In September 2012, the geography department investigated working with a local / regional environmental organisation to enable our students investigate and explore wild places within the local and regional area.Amy Hannan (Community Engagement Project Officer) for the RSPB came into school to discuss an application to enable the department to deliver the John Muir Award. Amy will continue to work with us to promote the work of the RSPB and to ensure students engage with wild places within the region.The award is currently being delivered to students at Bispham High as an extra curricular activity by the geography department .

Bispham’s John Muir Award Proposal

Students growing, investigating and discovering!

A newt found in the pond!

Section 5: Working with RSPB (regional branch) to deliver the John Muir Award.Report in the ‘Blackpool Gazette’ dated 15th May 2013, promoting the Geography Department’s work with the RSPB and local community.