Geography

Intent

Appreciate, Participate, Innovate

At Stanmore our Geography curriculum will inspire the children to be curious and be fascinated about the world and its people.

Appreciate – to be equipped with a breadth of geographical vocabulary and language, the inclination to learn something new and a sense of wonder

Participate – to be actively engaged in the entire Geography curriculum, as appropriate, using our ‘Keys for Success.’ Children will experience interpreting a range of geographical information, and gain an understanding of their community, the UK and the wider world.

Innovate – to have the understanding, aspiration and motivation to apply their learning, for example by communicating data in a variety of ways. Children will use their knowledge and skills in different ways within a broad range of contexts and information.

Underpinning this is a clear progression in their geographical substantive and disciplinary knowledge. By the end of each year, children should have gained the substantive knowledge (factual knowledge of the world around us (e.g. locational knowledge of places); as well as knowledge about geographical phenomena (e.g. physical processes and economic systems), and disciplinary knowledge (knowledge of how geographical knowledge is formed, debated and contested) in the skills and core knowledge statements for the year group.

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.

How is this subject planned?

National Curriculum is taught in KS1 and KS2
In the Early Years the Foundation Stage Curriculum is taught.
Each year group has termly or half termly projects, each with subject knowledge and skills to be taught
The National Curriculum for Geography is taught through subject specific projects. Where appropriate, there is interconnection between geography and other subjects, for example science. The purpose of this is to connect new knowledge with existing knowledge. Pupils also need to develop fluency and unconsciously apply their knowledge as skills.

Implementation

The Stanmore Approach

At Stanmore we know that teaching Geography is most effective when new learning is connected to the local area that children are familiar with and it is most effective when the skills are used to teach new learning. Our approach ensures that we are developing geographers. We make use of our excellent location in the Cathedral City of Winchester on the edge of the South Downs Park. Nearby Chalk streams, Chalk Down land and Iron Age Fort provide a bespoke local learning experience that enhances our curriculum. When learning about Coastlines in Y2, the children explore the local region of Lepe Beach and compare it to other coastlines around the country. This provides children with the opportunities to understand local coastal environments. In Y4, the children visit a local river to carry out a detailed study of the physical features as well as exploring rivers and mountains across Britain and the world.in Yr5 the children visit Winchester College as part of their Sow, Grow and Farm topic exploring sustainability and the impact of climate change.

BEST Values and Keys for Success

We want our children to belong to a community of learners in their classroom and beyond. Therefore, we have carefully constructed a well-planned and sequenced geography curriculum. We are striving for academic excellence. We acknowledge the importance of challenging our children academically, encouraging them to bounce back from challenges, have their own voice, organise themselves, work together, and celebrate their achievements. We always value effort and respect

Inclusion

When planning lessons, we consider learners with SEND. Teachers consider the barriers of the individual children and the key learning of each lesson; identifying the specific new learning. Teachers consider how to:

Make links to everyday language and model how terms like ‘sustainable’ might be applied to physical activity, for example regular use of retrieval practice allows recap of key words or concepts to be embedded.
Use questioning to encourage learners with SEND to develop their vocabulary through oracy and embed the correct terminology in their spoken language over time.
Geographical literacy mats with visual supports should be used frequently to support with common styles of geographical written work.

If appropriate, we plan for an additional adult in the lesson and share their responsibilities with them in advance.

SMSC and British Values

Geography enables children to be curious about the world around them and think about people and places beyond Stanmore and Winchester. We want the children to have empathy with other people in all corners of the world. Respecting and celebrating differences is positive and constructive. Children are encouraged to comment on moral questions and dilemmas related to our planet and conservation. They will see the awe and wonder all around them and in the wider world. We will teach them to appreciate different places and become fascinated with how our world was formed and how humans have altered this.

Through our Geography curriculum we promote British Values by exploring different countries and respecting their cultures and religions. The children also explore farming and agriculture which enables them to understand laws around food transportation and its impact on different communities, such as the growth of the fair trade market.

Oracy

At Stanmore we use Geography Knowledge Organisers to teach subject specific vocabulary, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary. We use a range of approaches to introduce new vocabulary. This includes repeated practice in different contexts, for example paired and group work and retrieval practice. Children are expected to use to use the specific vocabulary taught in their written and spoken language. We encourage children to ask questions and discuss their learning using ‘agree, build challenge’ (ABC) to enable the teacher to build on and extend children’s thinking.

Impact

How is this subject assessed

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the content, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study of the National Curriculum. Teachers make assessments using the science knowledge organiser and through the innovate challenge. Teachers keep track of any children who are not meeting the year group expectations.
Assessment of Geography is reported to parents in the annual report.

How is this subject monitored

The subject leader is responsible for monitoring the planning, teaching and assessment of the subject. This is triangulated through book looks, pupil conferencing, learning walks and discussions with teachers
Governors carry out regular monitoring visits in school and update the Full Governing Body through Governor Visit reports.

Pupil Voice

“Before I didn’t know that there were lighthouses near to the coastline because I had never seen one, but now I know that they have lighthouses to keep ships away from the coast so that they don’t crash.”
- Year 2

“We use knowledge organisers which help me to remember things if we forget them.”
- Year 3

“We do retrieval practice so that we don’t forget important things. If I was stuck, I’d look back in my book.”
- Year 4

“I didn’t know that plants could live in the arctic, due to its frozen temperatures, but now I know that lichens can survive.”
- Year 6

The geography projects are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s geographical knowledge, skills and subject disciplines.

Geographical locations are not specified in the national curriculum, so they have been chosen to provide a broad and diverse understanding of the world. These can be seen in more detail using CurriculumPRO.

Where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections with other projects, geography projects are sequenced accordingly. For example, children revisit the geography of settlements in the history project School Days after studying types of settlements in the geography project Bright Lights, Big City.

All geography projects are taught in the autumn and spring terms, with opportunities for schools to revisit less secure concepts in the summer term.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, each autumn term begins with essential skills and knowledge projects (Our Wonderful World in Year 1 and Let’s Explore the World in Year 2). Teaching these projects in Years 1 and 2 enables children to be introduced to, or revisit, critical geographical concepts, aspects, skills and knowledge. These projects prepare children for the study of more thematic geography projects in the following term.

In the spring term of Year 1, children study the project Bright Lights, Big City. This project introduces children to the geography of urban environments and the physical and human features of the United Kingdom.

In contrast, in the spring term of Year 2, children carry out a detailed study of coastal geography in the project Coastline. This project introduces children to the geography of coastal environments and provides children with the opportunity for in-depth coastal fieldwork.

Lower Key Stage 2

In Lower Key Stage 2, children begin with essential skills and knowledge projects (One Planet, Our World in Year 3 and Interconnected World in Year 4). Teaching these projects in Years 3 and 4 enables children to further develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of key geographical aspects and concepts and prepares them to study more thematic geography projects in the following term.

In the spring term of Year 3, children study the project Rocks, Relics and Rumbles, which explores physical features and geographical phenomena, including earthquakes and volcanoes.

In contrast, in the spring term of Year 4, children carry out a detailed study of the physical features of mountains and rivers, which includes opportunities for in-depth fieldwork.

Upper Key Stage 2

In Upper Key Stage 2, children again begin with essential skills and knowledge projects (Investigating Our World in Year 5 and Our Changing World in Year 6). Teaching these projects in Years 5 and 6 enables children to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of key geographical aspects and concepts and prepares them to study more thematic geography projects in the following term.

In the spring term of Year 5, children study the seasonal project Sow, Grow and Farm, which explores farming, agriculture and rural land use.

In the spring term of Year 6, children study the polar regions in the project Frozen Kingdoms. The project includes an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of these regions, including environmental issues.

Throughout the geography scheme, there is complete coverage of all national curriculum programmes of study. CurriculumPRO allows you to interrogate the sequencing of curriculum aspects and concepts, vocabulary and connectivity of the geography scheme with other curriculum subjects.

Year R

EYFS ‘geography’ is all about children understanding the world and their place in it. They are encouraged to experience and ask questions of the world, from school to the wider world beyond. They are encouraged to look at similarities and differences between places including where they live. They can draw on real life experiences, stories, books and other media.

At Stanmore Primary School, the EYFS teamwork hard to follow the children’s interests with their learning and link this is different ways to all areas of the curriculum including geography

Understanding the world

Past and present

Discuss the lives of the people around them and their roles in society
Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class
Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

People Culture and Communities

Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps
Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class
Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.

The Natural World

Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants
Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class
Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter