"It's long, it's neat and it's coloured in nicely"

is the tongue in cheek title of Approaches to assessment for learning to improve geographical writing, which is the publication which has been produced as a result of the work of the Staffordshire BPRS group who have done work over 3 years on getting better at writing showcased on this site; Year 1, Year 2  and Year 3.

The booklet is accompanied by a CD ROM with editable Word files of all the ladders and pupil resource sheets. You may purchase the book and CD ROM for £15. Please complete the order form and return to Denise Haynes, address is on the form

Objective led lessons

Garreth Stockton, Cheadle High School, has re-written the whole of their Key Stage 3 scheme of work using a standard template for each lesson plan. Read first how Garreth's approach to objective led lessons works. He also shares a whole topic of pre prepared lesson plans for Volcanoes with Year 8, you can add your own lesson structure. Lesson 1; lesson 2; lesson 3; lessons 4 and 5; lesson 6 and 7; lesson 8; lesson 9; lesson template.

How to make improvements in Geography

Alex Prior, Court Moor School, Fleet, Hampshire has produced a flow chart with suggestions to help pupils improve their work. This is the marking criteria they use so pupils know exactly why they are given the grade for their enquiries! Teachers feedback on the enquiries using this form and pupils use the feedback to set their target for next time. Teachers plan their lessons using this template. Rainforest enquiry for Year 8.

Justin Maguire (St John's School in Cyprus, a British Forces school), has sent this stepping stone diagram  to help pupils move simply to higher standards using very brief words. They applied the idea to simple diagram that the kids would be familiar with Volcanoes and Rainforest.

How to produce a good news report

Group checklist and assessment sheet (Antarctica campaign)

How to get better at writing geographically 4 

We are now in our last year and we are going to publish but before that we would like you to take a look at a few other ladders of progression that may help your pupils to assess the quality of their work. 

• There is a new ladder Better location descriptions
• Better explanations has been extended and
• Better judgements has been refined.

The BPRS-funded geographical writing research group from Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent is now 13 strong [my lucky number].  The main focus of the research is on how to improve the way you teach with the models of writing to support pupils in understand how to get better. 

• New work to trial and feedback is here

Congratulations to Pauline Marsden, Julie Dale and Jon Clarke who have had their work published in the journal Teaching Geography April 2003. Pauline Marsden describes her work for lower ability pupils. John Clarke offers a model for better judgements and Julie Dale offers thoughts on using the models below with higher ability groups. Joe Ball has offered a version which is called 'Better decisions'.

Fiona Osmaston, Head of Geography Tamarside Community College, Plymouth. says: 

'As Geography has been picked up as one of the subjects for TLF this year in my school we have adopted your better descriptions/explanations ideas. This has been trialled with year 8 top sets. Some students were interviewed by myself and the KS3 strategy consultant. Overwhelmingly they thought that a good piece of work was one which was neat, well presented and with very few literacy errors. So top set year 8 have not had marks given to them since they were interviewed but we have identified what is good in their work and what they need to do to improve by giving a generic statement bank to the kids. I've attached this too. Students will be interviewed again before the end of term to see how their perceptions have changed.'

• Files to download are here

The article is now published in the October 2002 issue of teaching geography.  Jean George at Hagley Park High School and Jon Clarke at Cannock Chase High School used BPRS to develop a method of helping KS3 students to understand different levels of attainment in geographical writing. A ‘model’ was developed for describing progression in pupils’ written descriptions and explanations.   

• The original story & downloadable files here

More assessment for learning - WALT rules 

Anthony Cheetham, Highfields School, Wolverhampton has offered this target marking approach for key stage 3 pupils - any feedback would be welcome. The guidance sheet is here.

NC Level descriptors for students 

Rosey Hopwood from Maryhill High School, Media Arts College, shares these very visual pupil friendly grids How can I Improve my level in geographical skills and How can I improve my level in geography

Caroline Johnstone, ChristChurch Middle School, Stone, has created ladders to help pupils make understand their work and to make progress; there is a ladder for each aspect of geography. Step up the Geographical ladder!

Paul Williams has offered this attempt at rewriting level descriptions for pupils.  Paul is Head of Geography at Saint John's International School, Bangkok, Thailand.  SLN geography can truly claim to be networking geographers globally.

Mrs Johanna Hazell, Head of Geography, St Bartholomew's School, Newbury has offered these 'placemats' for levels.  Right click is the fastest way to download. The cartoons make you smile too!

• Places
• Enquiry and skills
• Environmental relationships
• Patterns

Let us know what you think and or offer alternatives if you have them.

Philip McCullagh from Coulsdon High School, Surrey, shares his pupil friendly levels on the geography department webpages

• pupils begin to understand different aspects of progress;
• Teaches can use it to differentiate tasks;

Variations for both GCSE and KS3  by Anthony Cheetham, Highfields School, Wolverhampton are also available.

Fiona Osmaston and Alec Jiggins have offered other approaches

The full story & downloadable files here!

An approach to assessment for learning

Marilyn Cannings and the team at Clough Hall Technology College, Kidsgrove take this approach to key stage 3 assessment for learning.

  Crime in the local community (MSWord document)

It is used for peer reviews of work as well as assessment of learning in their regular assessed pieces of work. They do not give the pupils all the grid but a selection of appropriate levels according to ability. Pupils shade in their minimum target level at the beginning of the assignment. This example is for Crime in the local community.