Geography at All Souls' CE
Geography Curriculum Rationale
At All Souls’ CE Primary, we are all geographers! We want our pupils to appreciate geography and the world. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be cartographers, town planners, conservationists or weather forecasters! We want them to embody our Christian core values. We all embrace the school motto of: “we are a place to grow’ – this is both spiritually and academically. The Geography curriculum has been carefully designed so that our pupils develop their Geography knowledge and capital. We want all our pupils to remember their Geography learning in our school, to cherish these experiences and embrace the opportunities they are presented with.
Curriculum Intent
The Geography curriculum promotes curiosity and a love and thirst for learning. It is ambitious and empowers our pupils to become independent and resilient.
We want to equip pupils with ambition beyond the minimum statutory requirements of the Geography National Curriculum and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. The curriculum is meticulously planned with the intention to address social disadvantage and ensure that all pupils - including those with SEND – have an opportunity to engage with a challenging curriculum and achieve success. Any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are quickly identified and addressed to ensure that pupils are supported to meet the ambitious intended end points of the curriculum in Geography. We have designed the curriculum as a school and therefore the curriculum is unique to our school and meets the needs of our pupils and our context.
The Geography curriculum is focused upon the development of development of substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Geography is progressively sequenced to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and substantive concepts are built over time and prepare them for their next steps in learning. Geography is progressively sequenced to ensure that pupils gain appreciation and understanding of areas such as map work, migration, land use, population and fieldwork skills. The theoretical aspect of Geography is developed through discovery of the systems and component knowledge. Through practical work, the pupils learn the discipline of the subject and apply their knowledge and skills to think and work as a Geographer. Fieldwork is taught and explored progressively across school. We ensure children have the opportunity to investigate geographical areas and apply their knowledge of fieldwork. Children regularly work outdoors with a range of maps and equipment which enhances their skills and knowledge.
We want our pupils to use the vibrancy of our great town and wider city to learn from other cultures, respect diversity, co-operate with one another and appreciate what they have. We achieve this by providing a strong local contextual links where possible. For example, recently a group of pupils visited the River Roach in Heywood. The children were given the opportunity to learn about the land use around the river and the way in which a river might change over time. Pupils were able to apply their fieldwork knowledge and collect data sets in which they could use in lessons and their ‘Rivers’ unit. We firmly believe that it is not just about what happens in the classroom, it is about the added value we offer to really inspire our children.
British Values and our core values are placed at the heart of everything we do. This often feeds into the Geography curriculum. Cultural capital development is addressed through visits to sites of geographical interest, Rivers, rural and urban areas and the use of the internet to interact with people from across the globe. We enrich pupils’ time in our school with memorable, unforgettable experiences and provide opportunities to engender an appreciation of the natural world and the human impact.
Curriculum Implementation
We effectively develop and invest in our teaching staff to ensure that they are fully equipped with expert subject knowledge in order to support the delivery of the exceptional Geography curriculum. Teachers present the curriculum content clearly through composites and component parts supported by unit booklets, which break the unit knowledge, concepts and skills down for each lesson in each year group.
The curriculum is delivered through a subject specific approach which supports pupils to develop the key concepts and knowledge of the Geography curriculum. Each lesson within a unit of work is carefully crafted and builds upon what has been previously taught from one year to the next.
Frequent audits of the Geography curriculum take place. Following the findings from these audits, the Geography curriculum is adapted to build upon the learning opportunities and assessment end points for each year group and ensures progression and repetition in terms of embedding key learning, knowledge and skills. The way Geography is taught follows a specific and consistent structure.
Pupils’ curiosity is inspired through the igniting of prior learning and the manner in which geographical content is delivered. Pupils’ engage in the knowledge, skills and experiences involved in a unit and deepen their understanding to record their opinions, analyse and to review and revisit ideas. This process is replicated for each geography unit. The way each discipline is taught is revisited in each phase, at a progressively deeper level.
Geography subject specific characteristics, which we expect the pupils to demonstrate, have been developed and shared with all stakeholders. These characteristics underpin all work in Geography and form a focal point for display areas and provide a common subject specific vocabulary for staff and pupils. These characteristics are:
- be inspired, curious and fascinated about the world and its people
- develop knowledge about the world to help them deepen their understanding of the interaction between the physical and human processes and the formation of landscapes and environments
- develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places both terrestrial and marine
- understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world and how these are interdependent
- collect, analyse and communicate with a arrange of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork
- interpret a range of maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and (GIS) systems
- communicate geographical information in a variety of ways maps, numerical skills and writing at length
The teaching of the Geography curriculum is planned and delivered to support pupils to transfer key knowledge into their long-term memory and therefore improve the progress they make. Essential vocabulary is identified within each lesson and unit of work to ensure that our pupils can discuss and evaluate the Geography content effectively.
Whilst delivering the curriculum, teachers are constantly checking to ensure that pupils are learning the necessary knowledge and identifying and addressing misunderstandings. Assessment is used as a tool to support pupil learning. The Geography curriculum is research evidence informed in relation to the content, delivery and process of learning.
Curriculum Impact
We use both formative and summative assessment information in Geography. Assessment informs learning to ensure that all pupils including disadvantage and those with SEND achieve highly and acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. Staff use assessment information to inform their short-term planning and address misconceptions. This helps us provide the best possible support for all of our pupils. The end points for each phase have been carefully mapped out and further broken down. This means that the essential knowledge, skills and concepts in geography are progressive and build year on year.
Our well-constructed curriculum in geography leads to pupils’ successful learning. This is evidenced in the outcomes within workbooks and display work produced. Pupils are well prepared for the next steps and stages of their learning due to the progressive and well-sequenced curriculum. As a result, pupils make excellent progress; they know more and remember more as they move through the Geography curriculum at All Souls’ CE Primary.
At All Souls' CE Primary School, we are
GEOGRAPHERS!
Key Documentation
Geography programmes of study:
Key Stages 1 and 2
Purpose of study
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. 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 frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
Aims
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 Information Systems (GIS)
- communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
Attainment targets
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
We are not required by law to teach the example content in [square brackets].
Subject content – Key stage 1
Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.
Pupils should be taught to:
Locational knowledge
- name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
- name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas
Place knowledge
- understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country
Human and physical geography
- identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
- use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
- key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea,ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
- key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop
Geographical skills and fieldwork
- use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
- use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
- use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
- use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.
Subject Content – Key Stage 2
Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.
Pupils should be taught to:
Locational knowledge
- locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
- name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
- identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)
Place knowledge
- understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America
Human and physical geography
- describe and understand key aspects of:
- physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
- human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water
Geographical skills and fieldwork
- use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
- use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
- use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.