Intent

Our ambition is to instil an interest, fascination, curiosity and desire to investigate a variety of human and physical characteristics of different places, both local and afar, through purposeful research, careful questioning, real life experiences and fieldwork. A growing knowledge of different places, people and processes will equip our pupils with the skills to thrive in the modern world and help them to become global citizens, that share a responsibility for the planet and how to live on it sustainably.

“Geography explains the past, illuminates the present and prepares us for the future. What could be more important than that?”

 Michael Palin

 

Implementation

Geography at Delph Primary School provides challenging and enjoyable learning through a range of activities, learning experiences, fieldtrips and fieldwork. Our Geography curriculum is inclusive and ensures that all children, regardless of ability, can access the wide range of activities on offer.

The whole school long-term plan, curriculum webs, progression grids and sticky knowledge grids set out the objectives to be taught throughout the year and ensures that the requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met. Regular assessments take place to measure progress, which includes a ‘Memory Geoggers’ quiz. Previous Geography learning is continually revisited throughout the year.

Pupils participate in Geography learning through their whole class topic learning, with all classes studying a Geography topic during the Spring term (second half). Some classes have additional Geography topics, but all year groups study other aspects of Geography through cross-curricular links. For example, there are many overlaps of Geographical skills with Maths. Our pupils investigate, measure, record and present data in response to enquiry based questions focusing on familiar mathematical themes linked to place and space such as: ‘How far do you travel to school?’, ‘How many of the class walk to school?’ or ‘How big is our classroom?’  The Word Aware Approach is used to pre-teach all topic vocabulary, including Geographical terms and pupils complete many writing projects linked to the current or previous Geography topics.

Geographical questioning helps pupils to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of the world and its people. Alongside our key enquiry questions, we share high-quality knowledge mats which offer ‘sticky knowledge’ and ‘key vocabulary’ that are embedded in lessons and through incidental learning opportunities. Through offering a wide range of terminology we are able to use this new knowledge to help with our assessment of topic understanding.

We aim to instil a love of the outdoors and to enhance pupils’ understanding and appreciation of their locality, each class participates in a local walk linked to a curriculum area, each half term. This includes trips to the local church, the library, traffic surveys, the daily mile etc… This helps to create a sense of place and allows class teachers to revisit previous Geography learning and provide incidental learning of new Geography concepts.

Impact

Our Geography curriculum offers high quality and well planned lessons which encourage progression.

Our semi-rural setting allows easy access to a wide range of human and physical features for pupils to investigate and provides ample opportunities for local, relevant fieldwork. This makes the curriculum have greater meaning and relevance for our pupils. Our pupils show us that they understand why they are learning what we teach them.

 

The impact of the cycle approach to the teaching of Geography - plan, do, assess, review, means that our pupils have the opportunity to develop their Geography skills through a curriculum that is relevant for them. Through inclusive teaching, they gain a growing knowledge and understanding of the world and different localities. Our ongoing assessments of knowledge, progress and skills, helps us identify areas in which we need to encourage deeper learning.

 

Outcomes in topic books, evidence a broad and balanced Geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge relating to each of the identified national curriculum strands, as appropriate to key stage; locational knowledge, place knowledge and human and physical Geography. This is in addition to the development and application of key skills, supported by fieldwork. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

 

• Reflecting on standards achieved against the planned outcomes;

• Children knowing more and remembering more about Geography;

• Children’s enjoyment of Geography lessons and keenness to find out more about our world;

• Evidence of work showing a range of topics covered, cross curricular links and adapted work;

• High standards in Geography that match standards in other subjects such as English and Maths;

• SLT are kept informed through feedback from annual subject monitoring, which includes lesson observations, book looks, planning scrutiny and pupil voice and then helps the subject leader to identify future priorities for Geography.

 

We aim to inspire pupils to be curious about the world and what learning about it can do for them. Children learn about careers related to Geography from members of the local and wider community, with specialist skills and knowledge (for example during science learning and the Year 6 business challenge) and this ensures that they are well prepared for the next steps of their education.

Geography Policy

[pdf 386KB]