School Improvement Service

Areas of work

Humanities

The Humanities team is led by Howard Jones who is also the Adviser for Humanities.

The team's key objectives are to raise attainment in geography, history and religious education at all Key Stages and to raise the profile of these subjects.

The team enjoys good working relationships with subject staff, coordinators and heads of departments in the borough's schools and is appreciative of their support.

All staff work closely with schools in providing support and guidance to coordinators and in leading professional development training.

Gillian Gillespie, Advisory Teacher for History, works part-time across both primary and secondary schools. A major focus of her work is on promoting local heritage and mapping this into the school curriculum. She has a wide-ranging knowledge of local heritage and is the author of the award winning book 'Footprints in time'.

Janet Dyson, Religious Education Consultant, works part-time across all the Key Stages to give advice and support on teaching Religious Education. She is particularly keen to raise the profile of the subject and to this end has completed a detailed scheme of work for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, to give clear guidance to teachers.

Janet has worked as a Religious Education specialist all her professional life - as a teacher, head of department, local education authority adviser, Ofsted inspector and teacher trainer.

She is the author of a number of books, resource materials and articles on Religious Education and other educational issues. Janet has also worked on major national projects for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Janet's most recent work includes exemplar materials in Religious Education and a series of Religious Education books for Key Stage 3 - entitled 'Think Religious Education'. Janet is an independent consultant who is currently working as coordinator for Gifted and Talented students in Barking and Dagenham.

She also works as a part-time researcher at the University of Hertfordshire and has recently presented papers at a number of international conferences in USA and Europe.

Alan Kinder joined the School Improvement Service in September 2003 as Advisory Teacher for Geography. His previous post was as Head of Humanities at Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Alan's career has taken him, as a teacher of geography and head of geography, to schools in inner and outer London and in East Sussex. Alan has also enjoyed a spell as a Field Studies Officer at a field centre in southern central France. He is an active member of the Geographical Association and sits on the Secondary Education Committee of the Geographical Association.

Alan's interests include travel, playing the guitar and various sports - but not all at the same time.

Contact

Howard Jones

Adviser, Humanities

Westbury Centre

Ripple Road

Barking

IG11 7PT

Tel: 020 8270 6043

Fax: 020 8270 4811

Email: howard.jones@lbbd.gov.uk|