[The Status of Geography In An Inner London School And The Potential Impact Of The New EBACC]

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Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS3

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE4

Literature Review4

Understanding English Baccalaureate4

Benefits Of The English Baccalaureate4

The Choosing Geography as a Subjects6

The Implications Of The English Baccalaureate7

Geography as a GCSE Subject10

Understanding the Impact of Geography Subject in British School System10

Ofsted Report on Geography14

Supporting Geography18

CHAPTER IV:ANALYSIS21

Findings and Analysis21

Briefing to Methodology21

Results21

Comments23

A number of themes arise from these comments25

Some illustrative comments26

Some illustrative comments28

Some illustrative comments30

Conclusions32

From These Data Several Themes Emerge32

Caveat33

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Literature Review

Understanding English Baccalaureate

The researchers believe that changes to the curriculum and assessment methods should not be subject to party political interference (Morgan, 2005). The education of our young people is too important to be determined by policies which are not consulted on, or based on evidence or substantial research. The English Baccalaureate is a prime example of this. To make things worse, the Government's rhetoric around the introduction of the English Baccalaureate has moved from it being described as a measure of success to a measure of failure and in doing so they have alienated the vast majority of head teachers, teachers, parents and students (Morgan, 2005).

The they judge that this approach will not be appropriate for all students: alternative pathways to achievement still have an important part to play (Lambert, 2009). A narrow, academic focus will not equip young people to take their place in society or foster their innovative skills. Students need to learn about tolerance, diversity, respect, teamwork, taking responsibility and being independent as well as being given the opportunities to develop their creativity.

Benefits Of The English Baccalaureate

The researchers regret that there was no consultation about the content and purpose of the English Baccalaureate before it was introduced (Lambert, 2009). Students who began their GCSEs two years ago should not have been judged on measures only recently announced. The English Baccalaureate benchmark introduced retrospectively has had a devastating effect on schools. Improving schools in some of the most challenging areas of the country have seen themselves plummet further down the league tables, which puts at risk the significant progress they have made so far (Lambert, 2009). This measure has branded a large number of pupils a failure for missing its targets. This will do nothing to bridge the attainment gap between pupils from rich and poor backgrounds.

Selective schools and independent schools have dominated the top rankings of the English Baccalaureate so far (Lambert, 2009). The narrow range of subjects offered in the English Baccalaureate has resulted in just 16 per cent of ...