Intent

At Worth Primary School, through the study of geography, we aim to develop children’s understanding of the complexity of the world through studies of continents, cultures and communities. Children will learn to make sense of the world and its people, places and environments. We understand that geography is much more than memorising places on a map, and it is our responsibility, through a high-quality Geography education, to offer children ample opportunities to be curious about their world, and develop both the skills and knowledge needed, to become a Geographer.

Implementation

We aim to provide a broad and ambitious geography curriculum rich in subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum Geography Programmes of Study and the EYFS Framework. The building blocks for successful geography learning begins in the Early Years through Understanding the World. We ensure that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. Teachers break down the content they wish pupils to learn into component parts, taking into account what their pupils need based on their prior knowledge and experiences. This enables our pupils to know more, remember more and do more. Our high-quality geography curriculum is delivered through;

• Opportunities for skill development and understanding in both substantive knowledge and disciplinary knowledge.
• Fieldwork and educational visits.
• Cross-curricular links delivered through our topic-based approach and a secure appreciation of how geography relates to other subjects. These include English, Science, RE and History.
• Content which allows pupils to see that geography is a dynamic subject where thinking and viewpoints change.
• An appreciation of what it means to be a geographer, giving pupils the chance to ask geographical questions.
• Clear and accurate teaching approaches which address misconceptions.
• The regular practise of procedural knowledge.
• Carefully structured tasks that give pupils sufficient instruction, guidance and support.
• Up-to-date resources to develop pupils’ knowledge and maintain their motivation.

The subject co-ordinator monitors teaching and learning in geography throughout the school through work scrutiny, observation of teaching and Pupil Voice.

Impact

Pupils’ progress in geography will be formatively assessed to provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate what they have learned, appreciate areas where they need to revise or identify what they need to do to improve further. Learning is assessed against clear criteria to support pupils in improving their attainment and maintain their motivation. Pupils’ progress is reported on our end of year reports.

Children will leave Worth Primary School as geographers with sufficient skills and knowledge to:

• Understand distance, orientation, scale and positioning systems.
• Recognise and ask geographical questions, critique resources and reflect on what they have learned, as well as the methods used.
• Appreciate what it means to be a geographer.
• Establish whether the geographical questions posed, the methods used, and answers found are valid.
• Understand that geography is a dynamic subject where thinking and viewpoints change.
• Have an increasingly complex sense of place.
• Appreciate the interplay between locational knowledge and that of human and physical processes.
• Gather, analyse, present and interpret spatial information.
• Take a broader view, generalise, and critique models that represent specific processes.