Daventry Academy School Falconer's Hill Awarded Prestigious National Accreditation for Geography

A Daventry academy school has been recognised for its excellent primary geography education with a national ‘Geography Quality Mark’ accreditation from the leading subject association for teachers of geography in the UK.

Falconer’s Hill Academy, part of the high performing David Ross Education Trust, has been awarded the respected Silver ‘Primary Geography Quality Mark’ (PGQM) by the Geographical Association, a registered charity with the mission to ‘further geographical knowledge and understanding through education’.

The prestigious award recognises and promotes quality and progress in geography leadership, curriculum development and learning and teaching in schools.

It was achieved after the school was put through a rigorous process to demonstrate the quality of its geography curriculum.

Schools are asked by the Geographical Association to provide detailed evidence that they meet all the necessary criteria of the PGQM and demonstrate that they deliver the highest quality geography education which meets all the needs of primary pupils before awards are made.

The school will be awarded the quality mark at a ceremony in the spring but officially holds it from this term. The accreditation acts as a kitemark for the standard of a school’s geography curriculum for the next three years.

The school was praised across the board for by the Geographical Association for its “well organised and presented submission” and for the “increased use of fieldwork within the curriculum” and was told: “for a relatively small school you have completed a lot of work to develop the geographical experience for pupils”.

Falconer’s Hill was commended by Ofsted during its last inspection for its “highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum” which “helps pupils to build their knowledge and vocabulary gradually”.

The school, which Ofsted also praised for helping pupils “learn to be caring and responsible citizens”, was also recently recognised nationally by Eco-Schools England, winning ‘Green Flag’ status.

Scarlett Hales, Vice Principal of Falconer’s Hill Academy and Geography Subject Lead, said:

“We are delighted that our hard work in developing our geography education to teach our children more about the world we live in and to help them develop a greater understanding – and hopefully – a love of such an expansive and fascinating subject – has been recognised by the Geographical Association.

“Winning this award and having the privilege of holding it for the next three years will significantly raise the profile of geography in the school for the whole community.

“The association will also be a valuable resource for us in terms of our curriculum and resources for staff.”

Simon Rose, Director of Primary Education at the David Ross Education Trust, said:

“The Primary Geography Quality Mark now means Falconer’s Hill Academy is among the ranks of leading schools – and primary schools – in the UK for the teaching of geography.

“The primary (and secondary) Quality Mark Frameworks are valued and celebrated by schools’ leaders nationally and internationally and they support the schools who win them to continue to develop their geography education.

“We are very proud of Falconer’s Hill Academy’s success in being awarded such a prestigious award.”