Intent

Our aim at South Wilford is to provide a rich and exciting Geography curriculum where the children will flourish through their pursuit of excellence. The curriculum challenges, inspires and motivates all children to be knowledgeable, curious and critical about our world and to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of humankind. We aim to give all children a deep understanding of their local area and an awareness of their responsibilities to be inspired to protect this and the wider environment. Through comparing our human and physical geography with other regions in the United Kingdom, Europe and the wider world, children will acquire critical thinking skills, local knowledge and pride in their community as well as respect and appreciation for varying cultures. Through drawing and interpreting maps, children will develop their creativity through the skills of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving. Exceptional wider opportunities including visits, visitors and STEM experiences will create awe and wonder, igniting their enthusiasm and belief that they can have a lasting impact on the future. Cross-curricular links to our English topics and rich, varied texts in Shared Reading will ensure that children know more and remember more.

Implementation

The Curriculum in Geography:

At South Wilford, we carefully plan for progression from Early Years, where Geography is part of ‘Understanding the World’, through to KS2 and beyond. Our teaching and learning promotes a depth of understanding on Geographical themes, through cross-curricular topics which link to National Curriculum guidance for Geography and the Oxfam Global Citizenship Education. These are closely tailored to the vision and context our school, whereby all children have an understanding and appreciation of how they can enact and lead positive change in the world. Through Shared Reading and English lessons, rich Geographical texts are read, discussed and analysed to deepen pupils’ understanding. This is then supported by carefully planned cross-curricular links within and across year groups to create a challenging 3D curriculum for our learners.

In KS1 and KS2, Geography is delivered through 3 strands:

All year groups have elements of each strand interwoven in their curriculum plan, particularly during the Geography-focused Spring Term, but also in elements of the History and Citizenship topics.

What does our planning include?

Progression

In Early Years, Geography is part of ‘Understanding the World’. Children can compare places, talk about their immediate environment, make observations and explain why some things occur or change.

In Years 1 and 2, children should develop their knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography. They will begin to ‘think like a geographer’, using subject specific skills such as using aerial photos, maps, simple compass directions and first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

In Key Stage 2, children will 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, considering how these have changed through time. As they move into upper Key Stage 2, children will focus on the impact we have on our changing world and the consequences of this, focusing on how we can enact positive change in our world.

Adapted approaches to learning:

Early Years – play maps and small world equipment. Drawing pictures and maps of known/imaginary landscapes. Children compare places.
KS1 – Age appropriate atlases, games and apps on iPads. Inflatable globe games. Opportunities to draw maps, e.g. story maps, maps of local area, world maps. Weather station.
KS2 – Age appropriate atlases, games and apps on iPads. Globes and maps of varying scales, including OS Maps. Newsround.

What approaches to teaching and learning do we use?

Based on Rosenshine’s principles:
1. Knowledge organisers
2. Beginning lessons with a short review
3. Plan for deep, open-ended questions, linking to the enquiry question
4. Keep pupils active and moving
5. Give clear and detailed explanations
6. Provide models and scaffold learning in steps
7. Check all pupils understand and can explain their learning

How do we provide feedback for children?

Feedback will be given following the school’s Feedback Policy. Verbal feedback is often most effective for children and will be indicated by a v in the child’s book. Work will be ticked when checked by the teacher. DISCO questions are incorporated into lessons for deeper thinking. In order to challenge children further, occasionally an EBI (Even Better If) will be given to develop children’s understanding further or address a misconception.

Key Resources in school:

• iPads/Computers: Google Earth/ Google Maps, Purple Mash, Nat Geo Kids.
• Atlases for KS1 and KS2.
• Classroom environment shows children’s learning and has a range of globes and maps in all classrooms during Geography topic.
• OS maps.
• Geography display in school.

Digimap

In Geography, we have started using Digimap to explore our local area and the wider world. If you would like to use this fabulous resource at home, here is our school login:

https://digimapforschools.edina.ac.uk

Username: NG117AL
Password: swauns2421

Impact

How do we evaluate the impact of Teaching and Learning?

Evaluating is at the heart of the planning, teaching and learning cycle. Feedback given during and after lessons helps children move forward with their learning and prior learning is reviewed at the beginning of lessons. This allows teachers to address misconceptions as they teach and adapt their teaching to their class’s needs. Over time, the impact of teaching and learning is evident from pupils’ books and teachers’ annotated plans, showing that misconceptions have been addressed and children know and understand more. Children should be able to ask and answer questions about what they have learnt and show an understanding of why this is an important thing to learn about. Lesson observations from the subject leader will show that teachers are following the curriculum and incorporating a range of effective teaching and learning strategies.

What have we been up to in our Explore (Geography) Term?

EYFS Digital Maps

Year 1 have been learning about dinosaurs and linking this with how our world looked very different 65 million years ago. The pupils have been using geographical vocabulary to compare and describe including: mountain, cliff, valley, ocean, sea.

Year 1 have been learning about the countries that make up the United Kingdom and their capital cities.

Year 3 have been learning that different foods come from different areas of the world and how weather and climate affect food including fruit.

Year 4 created their own rivers to demonstrate the effects of gravity on river flow and how river flooding effects the surrounding land.

Year 4 created their own water cycle experiments to demonstrate and understand the conditions required for rainfall.   

Year 4 took part in an event held by Severn Trent Water. They learnt where the water to our homes comes from and how sewage water is treated.

Year 5 travelled to Mam Tor in Derbyshire and trekked to its summit.

Year 5 have been learning about how natural disasters occur. In this lesson, the class were focussing on volcanoes.

Curriculum leaders

Edward and Isla are the curriculum leaders for Geography. So far this year, they have supported with creating and running the Geography stall at the curriculum open morning for parents where they presented how the school teaches Geography and how Digimaps can be used as an amazing resource for learning. In the Spring term, Edward and Isla visited a variety of year groups where they supported and promoted the teaching of Geography.