Geography
Intent
The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
? develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
? understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
? are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length
At St Anne’s Fulshaw, our intention, through our Geography curriculum, is that children become Geographers. In Ancient Greek, the word ‘geo’ means ‘the earth’, so it is vital that children have the opportunity to learn, be curious and to become fascinated about the world they live in.
Our curriculum aims to give all children a sense of place, space and scale, both of their locality, and the wider world, while at the same time, expanding their vocabulary. They will grow a deep understanding about where they live and compare this to other parts of the UK, Europe and further around the world.
Teaching should encourage excitement and interest to ensure that pupils have a good knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, as well as gaining a solid understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human process. As they progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interactions between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
All pupils will be become critical thinkers and answer and ask questions to develop their own perspective of the world around them. By deepening their geographical knowledge, we will help them to understand how the world has grown and changed over time, the diversity that exists and the ways in which we could live more sustainably as we move towards the future.
Wherever possible, our learning is enhanced by trips and visitors to give the children real-life experiences. Fieldwork and mapping are a vital part of our geography too, enabling the children to become knowledgeable about their local area, as well as those they visit on trips.
Implementation
At St Anne’s Fulshaw, to ensure high standards of teaching and learning in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school, ensuring full coverage of the 2014 NC programmes of study for Science and Understanding the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage. We operate a 3-year cycle in Years 1, 2 & 3 and in Years 4, 5 & 6.
Geography topics are alternated half termly with History, to allow children to study each topic in depth. At the start of each topic, teachers take time to find out what our children already understand and what they want to find out. We include the use of fieldwork, mapping and technology, wherever appropriate, to aid teaching and learning.
Our progressive planning is supported by Oddizzi where appropriate, as well as Digimaps, where relevant. Children are given knowledge oragnisers at the start of each topic to give them key information. This is used to support their knowledge, not to be assessed at the end of a topic. Insight tracking is used to record pupils’ knowledge and skills throughout and at the end of each topic.
To support teaching, staff have access to the Geographical Association online as well as resources purchased to support elements such as fieldwork, locational knowledge and mapwork, as well as cross curricular links.
Children are assessed against the EYFS and NC statements using the programme, ‘Insight Tracking’. However, during the 3-year cycles, children may not cover all elements of the 3 year’s teaching until the end of each 3-year cycle.
Impact
The learning we provide our pupils, will have covered the four aspects identified in the National Curriculum statements for each key stage (locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork).
The impact of our geography curriculum is measured in a range of ways: questioning during lesson time, marking work, listening to child-led discussion, asking children across the school about their learning, book scrutiny, looking at videos/images of their learning and assessment.
The curriculum designed will result in excellent progress over time across the key early years and the two key stages relative to each individual child’s starting point. They will therefore be expected to leave St Anne’s Fulshaw ready to embark on their next stage of geographical learning, securely equipped with key knowledge, skills and confidence.
