Geography

Broad

To cover National Curriculum programmes of study and outcomes.
The intent of our geography curriculum is that our children will have a deep understanding of their local environment and the diverse surroundings in the wider world, with appreciation to human and physical characteristics.
The units have key questions to encourage the use of geographical enquiry, as well as a focus on the acquisition and application of key subject knowledge, concepts and vocabulary throughout.
Through the school, the scope of each unit increases, expanding from the pupils’ own environment to the wider world. Place studies start local and increase in scale to regional, national and global, allowing for revisiting, developing and challenging ideas and concepts.
Similarly, consideration of the weather and seasons progresses to more in depth study of the importance of climate and finally addresses protecting environments from global warming and combating climate change.
Some units are essentially human geography, other physical geography, but most are holistic geography, considering human and physical geography together – the real, undifferentiated world of the pupil.
Links will be made with other subjects in the curriculum to reinforce skills, knowledge and understanding and enhance learning.
There are a range of opportunities for enrichment experiences including learning outside the classroom.

Balanced

History and Geography are taught in alternate half terms. In the half terms where geography is not taught, opportunities should be sought to maintain progress made within the subject. This could be through cross-curricular work for example in science, or through the use of appropriate texts in literacy. PE time (dance) or use of outdoor learning time could also be used to introduce topics relevant to geography and reinforce the use of key vocabulary and revisit concepts.

Progressive

Strands are built upon from KS1 to KS2
Skills built upon from one year to the next with I can statements that break down the progression of knowledge skills and understanding into year group specific targets for our mixed year classes.
Skills and knowledge are introduced then revisited in different units and in different contexts. This enables progression to be identified, planned for, developed and monitored. Skills are not taught in isolation for their own sake, but in interesting and appropriate contexts.
By providing a starting point accessible to all pupils, they can each make their own progress along a geographical journey, some getting further than others.
Much of geography is visual (e.g. features of landscapes and urban-scapes) and pictorial (such as photographs, films and maps). It is vital that pupils develop their visual literacy skills and acquire a range of geographical images to accompany their expanding geographical vocabulary.

Cumulative

Knowledge is revisited and skills developed by repetition and reinforcement in use with other curriculum areas and as pupils progress through the school.

Inclusive

Our Geography curriculum is designed so that all pupils can and should receive their entitlement to geography within a broad and balanced curriculum.
Those working towards expectations will work on the same tasks but may need greater support and may not complete all levels of an activity. They may choose to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding orally or visually to avoid limited literacy skills hindering their achievements within the subject. Where possible, pupils will be supported through paired (partner talk) and group work. Questions posed within lessons provide opportunities for all pupils to be able to contribute.
From a common starting point for each activity, pupils are led through the unit, progressing as far as they can with each structured task. This provides informal differentiation, as some will be able to get further than others. It is important for all to be thinking geographically and demonstrating their ability, using language and ideas in contexts appropriate to them.
It is important to note that visual literacy (graphicacy) is a life skill needed to understand maps, diagrams and photographs and therefore teaching should be active and visual to support all children to enable them later in life.
Pupils working above expectations are expected to undertake activities with greater independence and to be provided with some opportunities to make choices on how they learn and can communicate their knowledge.

A two year rolling programme is used to plan for the needs of mixed year classes. For each term there is a programme of study for each class. On average classes spend every other half term concentrating on Geography, normally 1 afternoon per week, with links to other subjects also.
A breadth of teaching approaches appropriate to the content and desired learning outcomes are used to engage all pupils and enable them to not just acquire knowledge but to apply it in meaningful contexts.
Appropriate discussion is recommended as a means of checking pupils’ geographical learning systematically, identifying misconceptions and providing immediate feedback. Questions and tasks to stretch and challenge the most able pupils are incorporated where appropriate.
Quality resources and materials are provided online to support the geography curriculum and are sequenced towards the accumulation of skills, knowledge and understanding for pupils’ futures. There is emphasis visual literacy in the use and questioning of these resources, as geography is essentially a visual subject.

Teachers use formative assessment during teaching and learning and provide support as needed so that all children make expected progress.
The level each child is working at (whether in line with the majority of I can statements for their year group, below or above) will be recorded and input into the school’s tracking system twice a year (February half term in preparation for written parent reports and at the end of the academic year to provide the receiving teacher with up-to- date information.
The impact is evidenced through the pupils’ use and understanding of the identified geographical vocabulary and their association of it with relevant images or features.
It is also demonstrated by the pupils’ ability to show progress along the ‘observe, use geographical vocabulary to describe, compare, give reasons and explain what they are learning about’ sequence, and in their acquisition, application and transferability of geographical skills.
Children who are behind the expectation will be provided support and opportunities to catch up through focus during the lesson and in some cases targets in their APDR or class intervention record

Spellbrook Church of England Primary School