Geography Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent

To provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world.

At The Reddings Primary school, we aim to deliver a high-quality Geography curriculum, which inspires children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people.

We provide a geography curriculum with appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum History Programmes of study.

Geography, by nature, is an investigative subject. We seek to deepen their understanding by encouraging them to ask and answer questions about the world and provide them with the skills needed to become independent and competent geographers.

Children will investigate a range of places both in the UK and the wider world to develop their knowledge of the Earth’s human and physical geography. They will have the opportunity to collect and analyse data, interpret sources of geographical information from maps, globes and digital
mapping and to communicate geographical knowledge in a variety of ways.

In order to apply new skills and deepen understanding in a practical context, children will engage in p activities beyond the classroom on visits and field trips.

Our aim is to ignite a passion for learning about the world they live in, both locally and worldwide and to understand the impact that humans have on the world.

Implementation

As a school, we maintain strong links to the National Curriculum guidelines to ensure all aspects, knowledge and skills of history are being taught across all year groups.

We use progression of skills, knowledge and vocabulary across the school which are created as knowledge organisers so that staff are clear on what to teach, allowing them to focus on how to teach specific cohorts. Teaching is blocked to enable children to immerse themselves in the topic.

Teachers are encouraged to consider opportunities available to use the school grounds and the local area for fieldwork and to support their understanding and skills through children being outside and enjoying the Geography around them. Educational visits are encouraged to enable
children to gain real-life experiences and apply skills practically. Where appropriate, we make cross-curricular links so that learning is repeated in several contexts and children are given opportunities to recall knowledge and skills, strengthening their long-term memory., In order to plan for repetition and building of prior knowledge, teachers are expected to know what has been taught previously as well as having a secure understanding of what needs to be taught.

We will use assessment for learning to ensure all lessons are relevant and will help to plan for next steps. Foundation subjects are assessed at the end of each block and analysis of this assessment is then used to make sure all children are continuing to make progress throughout our curriculum.

Subject leads are given regular time to ensure resources are kept up to date, to monitor subject across the school, create action plans and to provide subject feedback to SLT as appropriate.

We move from the early Years where we develop the vocabulary of positional language to start in year 1 very locally, getting to know our school and our immediate area

We then move our geography so that learners can develop their understanding of places far away whilst making meaningful links to science.

In year 2 we move away from their immediate vicinity, linking back to know facts of the local area before looking at where we are in relation to a non- European country.

Brazil was chosen as a link to science (habitats and plants) and also because in Ks2 history learners study South American history through the Maya and also North America as a geographic region ( yr 5) we are also able to study the impact of human’s on the geography of a country. By looking at the Amazon river within the rainforest topic we begin to learn some river related vocabulary ahead of studying the River Gade in yr 3. In year 3 we begin again with studying local geography, understanding more of where they live and providing a centre for new learning in yrs 4-6; where are we in relation to other countries and what is the geography of the uk and our region of it, to enable similarities and contrasting human and physical geography to be developed.

Year 4, Spain was chosen as a European country based upon pupil voice and children’s prior knowledge of places they had visited. By focusing on an agricultural region of Spain we are also able to explore the impact of global warming on both the human and physical geography of the region.

Year 5 look at the geography of North America as it provides an opportunity to look at physical geography of mountains and rivers, building on the work done in years 2 and 3.

It leads on to the study of biomes. Taking on the language introduced right at the beginning of the geography sequence in year 1 with the polar regions, year 2 tropical rainforest and expanding to include the equator and the tropics and then to introduce the range of biomes Ending in year 6 with earthquakes and catastrophes, taking knowledge learned in year 5 on studying North America and biomes to look at volcanoes in Hawaii ( and, if appropriate, current or recent eruptions ) and flooding and looking at the impact of physical geography on humans that has been looked at in years 2 and 4.

Impact

Through pupil voice and book studies children will be able to talk about the skills and knowledge they have acquired.

Children will develop the geographical knowledge and skills to enable them to explore, navigate and understand the changing world around them, their place within it and the responsibility we all have to ensure that we look after our environment.

Work will show that a range of topics are being covered, cross curricular links are made where appropriate and work scaffolded to support all learners in accessing the subject.

Assessments and monitoring will show standards in geography will be high and will match standards in other subject areas.