A SOUTH East Cornwall primary school has won a national award for its innovative work in geography. 

At Calstock Community Primary School, children take part in field work that makes the most of their local landscape, as well as travelling further afield for experiences that enrich the curriculum. 

A spokesperson said: “The school is located in a relatively remote and rural part of Cornwall. Set high on the bank of the River Tamar the school welcomes children to a community of learning with a culture of high expectation and aspiration where all effort and achievement, in any area, is valued.”

Alongside developing the way in which geography is taught, executive headteacher of the Calstock and Stoke Climsland Schools Federation Ben Towe has led other teachers in the South West in their  professional development. 

Education charity the PTI (formerly the Prince’s Teaching Institute) announced Calstock School as the winner of its inaugural PTI Primary Impact Award during a ceremony in London.

The PTI’s Primary Impact Award promotes and celebrates excellence in primary leadership, recognising primary schools that put quality subject teaching at the heart of the classroom.

Mr Towe said: “We are proud to have won this prestigious award and to be recognised for the hard work we have invested. 

“Much of our curriculum intent has been significantly enhanced by the school’s involvement with the PTI and through the high quality training and learning opportunities that have been provided 

“Our plan with geography has been to develop the aspects of field work and critical thinking within the subject.   

“We take full advantage of our amazing location by using our environment for a wide variety of field work activities to stimulate and engage children’s imagination. We also encourage children to think globally and critically about what we find out, and children are encouraged to think beyond our own locality and to consider the interconnectivity of all aspects of human and physical Geography. 

“As a school we enjoy working collaboratively. We have, for example, worked alongside the Tamara Landscape Partnership on a multimedia project based around the River Tamar. This project involved geographical study, artwork, poetry and video making, and the results have been widely shared with other Cornish schools. 

“We have also taken part in a number of international links and projects, including work alongside schools in Spain and Egypt, and we are currently initiating a school gardening project with schools in Uganda.” 

Christine Counsell, chair of the judging panel, said: “The awards panel was struck by many things at Calstock and we are thrilled to give recognition to such thorough and inspiring subject work, as well as truly exceptional leadership. 

“The partnerships created by the school with many local organisations bear rich fruit in consistently high-quality subject resources and quite phenomenal subject teaching. Sheer passion for geography coming from the class teachers made it no surprise that the pupils love geography with an enthusiasm so deep, that it is very likely to outlast their school years.” 

Hugh Rayment-Pickard, co-director of the PTI, added: “The PTI is delighted to announce Calstock Community Primary School as the winner of the inaugural PTI Primary Impact Award. This award recognises primary teachers and schools across the country who continually strive to demonstrate a high quality of teaching. The award allows the PTI to highlight excellence in the classroom, and the impact that quality subject teaching can have on the future prospects of young students. Many congratulations to this year’s shortlisted schools, and to the tremendous teachers impacting lives around the country.”

The £5,000 prize and trophy will be awarded annually to an exceptional school which demonstrates the ethos and values of the PTI through their work with a PTI Primary Hub.

PTI Primary Hubs are in place to increase collaboration between local schools, strengthen subject teaching and subject leadership across the network. Primary school headteachers can become Hub Leads and establish a Primary Hub with other schools in their area.

Also commended by the judging panel at the award ceremony were; Appleby Primary School in Cumbria, Our Lady's RC Primary School in Wigan, Haberdashers' Crayford Primary in London and St Michael's C of E Primary School, Carlisle in Cumbria.

The judging panel consisted of Ms Counsell (chair), Rod Mackinnon (former headteacher and education consultant), Professor Dame Alison Peacock (CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching), Carolyn Roberts (headteacher of Thomas Tallis School and co-director of The PTI), Professor Helen Cooper (formerly head of the English faculty at the University of Cambridge) and Jon Bishop (headteacher, Robert Bakewell Primary School, Loughborough).

PTI offers support to teachers at all stages of their career by delivering a wide range of professional development courses across the UK. PTI offers school leadership programmes, department development programmes, new teacher subject days, middle leader certificates, subject enrichment, and lots more.

For more information on PTI visit stage.ptieducation.org