Gold Quality Mark for History Department

Outstanding work recognised

The History team on a trip to Berlin

Sawston Village College History department is delighted to have been awarded the Gold Historical Association Quality Mark.

The Quality Mark provides a framework for success through which schools can develop an outstanding provision. It is a rolling programme, schools register at any time and are able to begin preparing as soon as they sign up. Normally schools have one year from the date of registration to complete the Mark. Sawston Village College will now keep the Quality Mark for three years following the initial award before completing the process again.

Ms Jackson-Buckley, Head of History, said, “We are thrilled to have received this award. The Historical Association Quality Mark is an award that recognises the excellence of history provision in a school, and the Gold Mark is the highest level of the award that can be achieved. An external assessor spent a day in the school observing lessons, speaking to staff members and pupils alike and analysing our curriculum, extra-curricular provision and pupils’ results in the subject. We are very proud of achieving such a prestigious award.”

The post assessment report from the Historical Association included the following observations:

“Sawston’s enthusiastic committed History department demonstrates a strong desire to become a centre of excellence for the transformation of history education.”

“The Sawston History department has a rich history of innovation in the curriculum, and the current team are fully engaged in an enriching and productive process of review and development.  They develop their curriculum through historical enquiries, and these are not allowed to become stale and entrenched.”

“Consider presenting the Sawston curriculum as an example of good practice in the Teaching History journal in some form or as part of a CPD programme or conference.”

“Substantive concepts are embedded and developed throughout the curriculum. This has resulted in excellent pupil work, where pupils are able to bring together thinking from across individual enquiries, and years, into a larger synoptic question.”

“In comparison to attainment at GCSE in other subjects, students’ achievement in History at SVC is extremely high. The latest data from June 2023 puts its Progress 8 score at +1.52, placing it in the top 1% of schools nationally for History.”

Principal Jonathan Russell was delighted at this success, praising the outstanding work of the History department.