Geography

Subject Leader - Mrs R. Nelson/Mrs E. Page

Curriculum Intent

Our Geography curriculum is designed with the intent that all children will become a competent geographer, inquisitive about the world around them. We intend to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We aim to equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. It is important to us that children develop geographical skills including, collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping to name and identify countries, continents and oceans; and communicating information in a variety of ways. It is our goal that children will develop a love for Geography as a result of the learning experiences they are provided with in the classroom and by engaging in fieldwork within the school grounds, local area and further afield. Children will gain understanding about the environmental issues we face and a sense of responsibility for the future of the human habitat, which is enhanced through our participation in the Eco Schools programme.

Implementation

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We ensure that Geography has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences.

Geography is taught as part of a half-termly or termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. Year group staff plan sequences of lessons using our curriculum coverage and progression of knowledge and skills documents. These ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum objectives and a logical progression in the knowledge and skills taught year upon year. They also allow teachers to re-visit knowledge and skills taught in previous year groups to assess children’s understanding before moving on. This approach directly coincides with Ofsted’s inspection framework which states:

“People learn new knowledge when new concepts are connected in their minds with what they have already learned. It is more appropriate, therefore, to understand the way knowledge is stored as a complex, interconnected web or ‘schema’. Every time a pupil encounters a word they have previously learned, but applied in a new context, it adds to the complexity of their understanding of that concept. In other words, they develop a deeper understanding of that concept and enhance their capacity to use that concept in their own thinking.”

Some children may require extra support in the classroom and opportunities for consolidation and reinforcement. Activities within Geography lessons will be differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils. Children’s deeper thinking will be evaluated using open-ended questions and they will be encouraged to follow lines of thought independently.

In addition to learning about environmental issues within relevant Geography lessons, pupils understanding of such issues at both a local and global scale is enriched through our participation in the Eco Schools programme, through which topics such as Litter, Energy, Transport and Global Citizenship are explored.

Impact

Our Geography curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils’ geographical knowledge and skills are embedded throughout their time at our school. The progression of knowledge and skills document provides clear targets for pupils at each stage of their learning which enables teachers to provide learning opportunities at the appropriate level.

The impact of our Geography curriculum will be measured through teacher assessment, school leader monitoring and subject leader monitoring. Outcomes in Geography books will evidence a broad and balanced Geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge.

Teachers will assess children’s learning at the beginning and throughout each Geography lesson through questioning and discussion. Following the lesson, teachers will informally assess children’s understanding during marking of books, providing verbal or written feedback individually or as a group/class. Teachers will use these assessments to inform and adapt their planning of further Geography knowledge and skills and to address any misconceptions.

Children’s attainment will be considered and recorded termly to identify whether they are working below, at or above the expected level. Teachers will use a range of sources such Geography books, questioning, marking and planning when making these judgements. There will also be opportunities for moderation sessions across the school and the Trust to ensure accuracy of these judgements. At the end of each academic year, these assessments will be passed on to the following year group’s staff to ensure that future planning of learning opportunities is pitched appropriately.

As children progress throughout the school, they will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects landscapes and environments. Children will be equipped with geographical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready secondary education, for life as an adult in the wider world and for a range of future careers of a geographical nature. 