Staff and students at Regents International School Pattaya had a lot to celebrate last week, after the school’s Geography Department was awarded the prestigious Secondary Geography Quality Mark (SGQM) from the Geographical Association (GA) in the United Kingdom. Regents is one of only six international schools to attain the award this year, and the only school in Thailand to be globally recognised.
The SGQM, now into its 10th year, recognises student attainment, progress and achievement in areas such as geographical knowledge, understanding, values, skills and concepts, and sets expectations about the quality of teaching in geography. It also aims to promote effective subject leadership and management, helping subject leaders raise the standards of Geography in their schools. This ensures a continuing high standard of education in the subject area.
In order to qualify for the award, applicants had to undergo a rigorous evaluation and moderation process over several months. Staff and students both participated in a self-review exercise which encourages and supports schools to reflect on their work and strive for the highest quality in their teaching. The department also had to present a portfolio of examples as real evidence of the quality of its programs.
The Geographical Association’s team of assessors were hugely impressed by the manner in which Regents is continuing to embrace new and innovative approaches to teaching Geography. “There has never been a more important time for all children and young people to study geography. Growing up in the 21st century means living in an increasingly interconnected world, one facing a growing number of global challenges such as climate change and the need to live our lives sustainably,” said Alan Kinder, Chief Executive of the GA.
Head of Geography at Regents Mr Tim Spear said, “We in the Department are proud of the Geographical development of our students and the consistent hard work that they undertake. Our teachers have shown dedication and perseverance but, above all, consistent creativity in delivering the subject to our students, knowing that Geography is making a world of difference to our own community.”
Mr Iain Blaikie, Principal, said that the whole Regents community was delighted and proud to extend their congratulations to Mr Spear and his team for this outstanding award.
“This is exactly the type of initiative we love to see from our staff working together with students to ensure the highest standards of excellence in everything we do. It is also no surprise that 4 out of the 6 international schools selected for the award this year are Nord Anglia Education Schools.”
Mr Blaikie also added that the teaching of Geography empowers students to fully harness the internationalism and diversity of the Regents learning environment, in preparation for the future.
