Geography

Geography at Stubbins

Intent

At Stubbins Primary School, we believe that teaching and learning in to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. As a school we aim to 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. Through our progressive curriculum we aim for children to deepen their understanding of the links between physical and human geography and between the formation and the use of landscapes and environments. The children also learn about how the Earth’s features are shaped, interconnected and change over time. We intend for our pupils to gain valuable experiences learning outside the classroom and engage in meaningful fieldwork both on the school grounds and in the local area. We aim for our children to gain an understanding of maps by actively using them, drawing them and learning the skills to read them.  Children will develop a range of investigative and problem-solving skills to be applied both inside and outside the classroom. Geography provides a focus within the curriculum for understanding and resolving the issues concerning climate change and other environmental challenges and the sustainability of the Earth’s resources. Geography allows pupils to study different societies and cultures leading them to realise how nations rely on each other. Our geography curriculum has been devised to encourage pupils to think about their own place in the world and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment. 

Implementation 

Geography at Stubbins is delivered through subject specific teaching, organised into 3 half termly units per year group. Meaningful links with other subjects such as History, Science and English, are made to strengthen connections and deepen understanding of the world around them.   

Units of lessons are sequential, allowing children to build their skills and knowledge, applying them to a range of outcomes. Key skills are revisited again and again with increasing complexity in a spiral curriculum model. This allows pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. 

Our progression of skills, knowledge and vocabulary document shows what is taught within each year group and how these skills develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils by providing a record of the key knowledge, skills and subject specific vocabulary learned, encouraging the recall and helping the children’s learning to stick. It also shows how knowledge and skills are built upon through the year groups. Adaptive teaching and scaffolding ensures that lessons can be accessed and enjoyed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are maximised when required. 

Geography assessment is ongoing throughout to inform teachers with their planning of future lessons, activities and adaptive teaching. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each unit and used to inform leaders of school improvements or skills that need to be further enhanced.  

Wherever possible children will be given opportunities to visit local places of interest, carry out local fieldwork studies and meet or work will with visitors to create memorable learning opportunities and to further support and develop their understanding and learning in geography. 

EYFS  

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage, geography is included as part of Knowledge and Understanding of the World. The children learn to investigate similarities and differences, the local environment and cultures and beliefs, fostering the skills essential to developing historical understanding. This is set out in the early year’s curriculum as children needing to:  

• Observe, find out about, and identify features in the place they live and the natural world; 
• Begin to know about their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people; 
• Find out about their environment and talk about those features they like and dislike. 

KS1  

In the Key Stage One we provide opportunities for children to: 

Investigate their local area and the four countries of the United Kingdom. They also begin to learn about the wider world, including the 7 continents and 5 main seas and at least one country within each continent. They carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. In doing this, they ask geographical questions about people, places and environments, and use geographical skills and resources, such as maps and photographs. They will begin to learn and use geographical vocabulary as well as looking at both physical and human features in their local and the wider environment.  

KS2  

In the Key Stage One we provide opportunities for children to:  

During Key Stage 2, pupils investigate a variety of people, places and environments in the United Kingdom and abroad, and start to make links between different places in the world. They find out how people affect the environment and how they are affected by it. Pupils carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. In doing this, they ask geographical questions, and use geographical skills and resources, such as maps, atlases, aerial photographs and ICT. Children will develop geographical enquiry skills, including asking geographical questions, collecting and recording information and identifying different views. They will acquire the appropriate practical skills associated with Geography, including using suitable vocabulary, fieldwork techniques and maps, plans and atlases. Pupils will use secondary sources of information with accuracy, including aerial photographs, satellite images, etc. As well as making its own distinctive contribution to the school 5 curriculum, geography contributes to the wider aims of primary education. Teachers, in both Key Stages will ensure that links between subjects are maximized. When teaching Geography we provide an opportunity to use a variety of data, such as maps, statistics, graphs, pictures, aerial photographs, geographical footage and we enable them to use ICT in geography lessons where this serves to enhance their learning. Children take part in role play and discussions as well as some writing. 

Assessment and Recording  

The assessment of children’s work is on-going to ensure that the understanding is being achieved and that progress is being made. Feedback is given to the children as soon as possible, and marking work will be guided by the school’s Marking Policy. Geography will be monitored by the Geography Co-ordinator who will also collect samples of evidence of the work being produced in each classroom, and regularly monitor the standards achieved through book scrutiny. Geography books and planning will be monitored to ensure the subject is being taught effectively and that the children are making good progress. 

Impact 

Our geography curriculum is designed in such a way: 

To inspire in pupils a love and interest in the world and its people, that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.  

• To provide pupils with the knowledge of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments. 
• To develop a growing knowledge about the world to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.  
• To obtain Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. 
• To enable children to learn and explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. 
• To raise the children’s awareness of environmental issues on a local and worldwide level and the part that they can play, both now and in the future, in addressing those issues.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for geography.

Some useful websites:
http://www.ngkids.co.uk/
www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zbkw2hv
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRYSSNq5GSc

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/geography-ks1-ks2-your-world/z67bmfr

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcdqxnb

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zbkw2hv

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