GEOGRAPHY
‘A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should 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.’
DFE, National Curriculum
INTENT
As a valued part of the curriculum at Fairfield Primary School, Geography provides a means of exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. We aim to stimulate the children’s curiosity and imagination thus building upon their "personal geography" by developing geographical skills as well as understanding and knowledge through studying places and themes. Geography provokes and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of their world. We aim to create a positive and supportive environment for all pupils through an ongoing, holistic understanding of our pupils and their needs. At Fairfield, we ensure all pupils have access to high quality teaching regardless of their individual starting points.
We encourage children to learn by experience and we value fieldwork as an integral part of the Geography Curriculum. Collecting, analysing and communicating with a range of data can promote enquiry and develop understanding of geographical processes. Use of a range of geographical sources including maps, globes, diagrams and aerial photographs can deepen understanding of the world in which we live and its key physical and human characteristics. Geography is an area within the curriculum for developing children’s cultural awareness, understanding issues about the environment and recognising the importance of sustainable development.
‘Teaching of geography gives pupils an understanding of the world around them, its environments, places near and far, and the process that create and affect them’
Ofsted Research and Analysis
IMPLEMENTATION
Geography at Fairfield Primary is taught in regular blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Where geography is not the key driver within a half term, geographical skills and knowledge are revisited through discrete retrieval sessions as well as well as through learning links with other subjects. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked unit of learning and consideration has been given to ensure progression across the school. At the beginning of each unit, children are given the opportunity to convey what they already know through 'link it' activities as well as developing questions as to what they would like to find out. This ensures that lessons are relevant and takes account of children’s different starting points. Our learning is then delivered through a sequence of link it, learn it, check it, show it and know it activities.
The key concepts in geography we plan a progression for are as follows:
- Locational Knowledge
- Place knowledge
- Human and physical geography
- Geographical skills, mapping and fieldwork
- Geographical enquiry.
IMPACT
Outcomes in geography books, tweets and working walls evidence a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge and the development of skills. Children record what they have learned comparative to their starting points at the end of every unit. As children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding an appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Regular school trips provide further relevant and contextual learning.
By the end of their time at Fairfield Primary School, children will have developed the geographical knowledge and skills to help them explore, navigate and understand the world around them and their place in it. Children's knowledge and skills will develop progressively as they move through the school, not only to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them to become competent geographers in secondary education.
‘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. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.’
DFE, National Curriculum
Geography Leads: Vikki Harrison, Nicki Sheil & Claire Ashton.
Geography Progression DocumentGeography Curriculum Map