HTS Tom Naudè

Approach to the Teaching of Social Sciences:

• Social Sciences offered in Grades 8 and 9.
• Main School time table allocates 7 periods per cycle for Social Sciences that consists out of Geography and History.
• Geography and History is not part of our school subjects in Grade 10, 11 & 12.
• The lessons, informal assessment tasks and formal assessment tasks must always be in line with Pace Setters, Examination Guidelines and Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements.

Management of Assessment:

• Informal Assessment is administered by the teacher in the form of class work and homework.
• A minimum of four informal assessment tasks to be administered per cycle per grade.
• Formal Assessment must be moderated by the HOD before administered.
• Number of Formal Assessment is according to the Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) as per National Policy.
• Geography’s Formal Assessment in Grade 8 consist of one test, a project and two exams.
• History’s Formal Assessment in Grade 8 consist of two tests and two exams.
• Geography’s Formal Assessment in Grade 9 consist of two tests and two exams.
• History’s Formal Assessment in Grade 9 consist of one test, one project and two exams.

Informal Assessment:

• To focus on the “Concepts, Content and Skills” as outlined in the CAPS document.
• To ensure adherence to Pace Setter / Annual Teaching Plan
• To ensure that all four cognitive levels are covered in the informal assessment tasks.

 Formal Assessment:

• The Formal Assessment tasks should be administered strictly according to the prescribed Assessment Programme / Annual Teaching Plan aligned to the District Plan
• Control Test to be set by the designated Teacher and moderated by HOD before administered.
• Mid-year examination to be set by the designated Teacher and moderated by HOD before administered.
• Final Examination for Geography and History Grade 8 and 9, 1 to be set by the designated Teacher and moderated by HOD before administered, unless province gives a different directive,

• Assessment Programme for Social Sciences – Geography:

• Assessment Programme for Social Sciences – History:

Developing Language Skills: Reading and Writing:

Teachers of Physical Sciences must be aware that they are also engaged in teaching language across the curriculum. This is particularly important for learners for whom the Language of Learning and Teaching is not their home language. It is important to provide learners with opportunities to develop and improve their language skills in the context of learning Social Sciences. It will therefore be critical to afford learners opportunities to read texts, to write reports, paragraphs and short essays as part of the assessment, especially (but not only) in the informal assessments for learning.  

Moderation of Assessment:

Moderation refers to the process that ensures that the assessment tasks are fair, valid and reliable. Moderation should be implemented at school, district, provincial and national levels. All formal assessment tasks are to be moderator before and after administering tasks to learners. All grades (gr 8 and 9) are to be moderated.  Moderation at district level will be conducted during term 2, term 3 and term 4. 

Educator is expected to: 

• Have evidence in planning and preparations.
• Keep files (Educator’s CASS Portfolio, Subject File and Educator’s work file) safely and regularly updated.
• Implement continuous assessment and ensure that the formal programme of assessment and TP is followed and checked regularly.
• Mark in detail all formal assessment tasks, check and control informal assessment tasks regularly. Append signature as well as date during marking, checking and controlling of learner’s written work.
• Always do item analysis after marking controlled tests and examinations.
• Submit the teacher’s file and learners’ work/evidence of performance for monitoring and support when required.
• Attend all the necessary subject, circuit, district and provincial meetings or workshops and always give feedback to HOD and colleagues and implement decisions taken

 Subject Support Meetings:

• Subject support meetings are crucial to staff development and should be given appropriate emphasis.
• Subject support meetings should be primarily aimed at in-service training and the measurement of progress against the planning done.

School Visits:

Subject advisors could visit the school during each term

For the first term main focus to be on: 

• Availability of Policy Documents
• Reflection on performance in final examinations
• Audit of informal Assessment tasks
• Adherence to Pace Setter / ATP
• Collection and distribution of learners’ textbooks
• Educator’s and learners’ challenges

For the other Terms the focus could be on:

• Performance of learners on Formal Assessment
• Item analysis
• Audit of Informal Assessment
• Adherence to Pace Setter / ATP
• Collection and distribution of learners’ textbooks
• Educator’s and learners’ challenges