Geography
To inspire in our pupils a fascination and curiosity about the world around them and its people; unlocking their potential.
Intent
It is our intent for the Geography element of our school curriculum to inspire pupils with a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people through a thematic approach. 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 other formation and use of landscapes and environments. We want our children to gain confidence and practical experiences of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills.
Implementation
Geography at Farndon Primary is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and theses are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic, as part of the Fluent in Five strategy. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and that it takes account of pupil voice, incorporating children’s interests. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. At the end of each topic, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and rigorously checked by the teacher and consolidated as necessary through the Fluent in Five Formative Assessment tasks.
Cross curricular outcomes in geography are specifically planned for and these are indicated on the whole school Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression Map. The Geography provision is also well resourced and specific resources are mapped to specific year groups and topics to support effective teaching and learning. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.
Impact
Outcomes in study books and our WOW books, evidence a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge relating to each of the identified national curriculum strands, as appropriate to key stage; locational knowledge, place knowledge and human and physical geography.
This is in addition to the development and application of key skills, supported by fieldwork.
As children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding an appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Geographical understanding, as well as children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is further supported by the school’s Global learning elements as part of its work on the Rights Respecting School Awards. This aspect of the work of the school is also supported through specific drives. These include Day of Languages, where children consider the origins of the languages spoken across the school, and ‘Tastes of the World’, in which they learn the origins of dishes prepared and contributed by the school community in a celebration of the school community’s cultural diversity.