Staffroom Catch Up: Sandra Mahon, Swanlea School
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We have been catching up with teachers across the UK to find out how teaching with Eduqas is working for them and their learners. Sandra Mahon, Faculty Leader of Art and D&T at Swanlea School in Whitechapel, shares her experience of teaching Design & Technology with Eduqas.
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Can you tell us a little about your role and department?
I am Sandra Mahon, Faculty Leader of Art and Design & Technology at Swanlea School in Whitechapel. There are three teachers in our team and we teach approximately 40 learners each year. I have been teaching with Eduqas since 2018.
What made you choose Eduqas as your exam board?
Eduqas was the existing exam board when I joined. I had the option to change a year later but didn’t feel the need.
It met the needs of the students, the school and the department.
How do your learners respond to the Eduqas specification?
They appreciate the clear specification structure, which helps when revising and covering theory. The exam paper is easy to access and understand.
The NEA context topics are broad enough for students to find something unique and rewarding to design a solution for.
What has been the best thing about teaching with Eduqas so far?
The resources, the easy access to assistance from the exam board and the support from other teachers via social media.
The training sessions are thought out to ensure that teachers can best support students to do well.
How have you found the level of support provided by Eduqas?
The level of support has been good. If I make a call, there is someone to talk to. If not, there is a timely reply via phone or email and someone always follows up.
I’d like to see more graphical communication work, which I have shared with the exam board. They have been keen to get some, so hopefully we will see more in the future.
What Eduqas resources have you found most useful in the classroom?
The textbooks and Hodder revision guides, as well as the Knowledge Organisers that students have been directed to use.
The exemplars and written feedback from the training and standardisation meetings have also been useful.
Have you taken part in Eduqas CPD or Professional Learning sessions?
The exemplars and written feedback from the training and standardisation meetings have been useful.
They also provide a chance to share details with colleagues and schools teaching in the local area and arrange cross-school moderation. We managed to do this this year with a group of schools in the Tower Hamlets area.
What would you say to other centres considering switching to Eduqas?
An accessible GCSE qualification with a wide range of resources and on-hand support for when you need it.