What? 

A bundle pack containing guidance of what an Ofsted deep dive entails and how you can utilise a similar internal process in your own subject monitoring. It contains five comprehensive templates:

 

1. Geography Deep Dive and Subject Evaluation Audit (Primary) - over 100 deep dive questions about Geography to ask stakeholders, including senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. As Geography subject leader, you can use these to reflect on the current picture of Geography in your setting and explore specific areas further when listening to staff and pupil voice. Many Geography subject leads find it helpful to practise them with other leaders to build their own confidence in preparation for a Geography Ofsted deep dive. 

 

2. Geography Deep Dive and Subject Evaluation Audit (Secondary) - KS3, KS4 and KS5 Geography deep dive questions for secondary leaders and Geography or Humanities department heads to consider. While there is crossover with the primary set of deep dive questions, this resource focuses on secondary Geography and includes questions about secondary-focused areas, such as the routes available for pupils who wish to take their knowledge of Geography into further education, employment or training.

 

3. Geography Subject Knowledge Question Bank - content-specific questions for Geography covering KS1, KS2 and KS3. They’re ideal if you’re wanting to explore staff Geography subject knowledge.

 

4. Deep Dive Process Overview - use this to structure your internal deep dive in Geography, working through the process of identifying your perceived strengths and weaknesses, observation and questioning, and creating a plan of action. 

 

5. Deep Dive Evidence Exploration - a handy place to collate all your observation notes when conducting a deep dive, including observing Geography lessons, asking pupils about their learning in Geography and looking through work.

 

Whether you have an Ofsted inspection due or not, conducting an internal deep dive can help you to identify your subject’s strengths and weaknesses. Use it as a collaborative process that can support other staff members to develop and use your findings to report back to SLT, governors or trustees as part of your curriculum quality assurance. 

 

What sorts of deep dive questions will Ofsted ask in Geography?

The answer to this will depend on your setting and what an observer sees in practice, but here are some examples of the questions covered in this Geography Deep Dive pack:

 

• What is the rationale behind the choice of geography topics for each year group?
• To what extent do your plans facilitate the construction of a progressively detailed and broader locational framework for pupils over time?
• How do you accommodate pupils with SEND in accessing the geography curriculum?
• Do your instructional plans effectively demonstrate how human and physical processes are taught using real-world examples and references?
• How proficient are pupils in locating geographical features on maps, globes or within atlases?

 

There are many more in the bundle that Geography subject leads can work through to ensure they know their subject's strengths and weaknesses. 

 

Who? 

Geography subject leaders, especially those who are new Geography subject leads, will find this pack extremely useful when monitoring teaching and learning, or if preparing for an Ofsted deep dive in Geography. Curriculum leaders, senior leaders, headteachers or anyone else with responsibility for teaching and learning will also find the pack beneficial, whether they use it to conduct a deep dive themselves or support their Geography subject leader to prepare for an Ofsted inspection. The Geography deep dive questions are particularly useful in reflecting on your setting's current practice.

 

How long? 

Start as soon as you download the pack, and use it as part of your monitoring and evaluation schedule or to build confidence about a deep dive in Geography.

 

When? 

If you’re a new subject leader or you’ve never gone through a deep dive process (either internal or  conducted by Ofsted) before, this pack will walk you through the steps of what this looks like in practice and what questions you could be asked in a Geography deep dive. Even if you're a more experienced subject leader, it can be useful to revisit your Geography curriculum's intent, implementation and impact as a form of monitoring and quality assurance, and this deep dive pack is perfect for that. Either way, you don’t have to wait to be due an Ofsted inspection to use the pack - it’s useful at any time to explore the strengths and weaknesses of your Geography curriculum.

Why? 

Knowing you may have to go through an Ofsted deep dive in Geography can cause feelings of stress, anxiety and worry, especially if you’re thinking about what questions Ofsted will ask about Geography and how you’ll answer. This pack supports that thinking process, especially if you work alongside other leaders to consider what makes great teaching and learning in Geography and how your school does or doesn’t do this. 

 

However, it’s not just about preparing for an Ofsted inspection or doing things because Ofsted might want to see them - it’s about understanding the picture of your subject and knowing its strengths and weaknesses so you can get amazing outcomes for all of your pupils. It’s also important to know that even if you conduct an internal deep dive and find there are gaps, you can use this to formulate your next steps in an action plan, which will help to ensure improvement for all.

 

Key questions answered:

• What is a deep dive?

• What is the purpose of Ofsted’s deep dives into areas of your curriculum?

• What does an Ofsted deep dive look like?

• Why might I want to conduct my own internal deep dive?

• Who should I involve in an internal deep dive?