I took the North York Moors steam railway through the park and some other villages. As I sat and ate my lunch, the local farmers herded their sheep around me. These small villages retain their rural character and sense of a close knit community. While here, I am teaching secondary geography at The Graham School which is the largest comprehensive school in the area. The educational system is quite different, particularly with the necessary emphasis on the national curriculum.
Every subject matter has objectives, skills, and content set out for each key stage of learning.
Geography is a national curriculum subject and all students in years 7-9 must take geography. After that students may opt to take the subject as a GCSE course. Geography coursework and field work is quite demanding and students cope with a great deal of pressure. Of course all my time hasn't been spent at school. In October I had the chance to travel to Scotland for the week.