Intent

Geography is essentially about understanding the world we live in. It helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. At Heskin Pemberton’s, children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. The Geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas. Geography is an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of key concepts, knowledge and skills. At Heskin Pemberton’s our intent, when teaching Geography, is to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and people within it; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

As with all curriculum areas, we intend for Heskin Pemberton’s pupils to have a thirst for knowledge, a toolkit of skills which links all of the curriculum and an aspirational approach to the future, all of which are underpinned by our Gospel Values.

Implementation

Subject specific concepts are used so that the children are able to attach their knowledge and skills to the concepts and these act like collection baskets for knowledge. The concepts have been selected based on the National Curriculum. Themes are informed by the National Curriculum as well as the context of the local area. The Geography curriculum is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by evidence based pedagogy.

Geography is taught in half termly blocks throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. Key knowledge and skills are identified for each theme. Subject concepts provide the coat-hangers for new learning and knowledge, which allows further depth and understanding to be gained. These concepts allow children the opportunity to begin to study knowledge and skills specific to this discipline. Children begin to ‘think like a geographer’.

Within our knowledge-rich approach, the children will create their own knowledge organiser. This not only ties the Geography unit together, highlighting the learning, but also allows the children to have an idea, thought or memory to hold and to move forward with. Furthermore, the children will have an awareness of the connections between the learning in each lesson and lessons that have or may not have been learned. By the end of KS2, our Geography curriculum will have ensured that they have a deep understanding of the physical and human aspects of the world. They will be confident and well-rounded global citizens who have an appreciation of the physical world beyond where they live and the importance of their role within it.

The local area is also fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. Vocabulary, knowledge and opportunities for discussion, debate, questioning are all pivotal in our pursuit to deepen and enrich children’s learning. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in Reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; People and Communities, The World and Technology’ by the end of the academic year. It is in the Early Years that children begin to develop the concepts of ‘place’ and ‘space’ and begin to be curious about other countries,  seasons, weather and the school environment.

The curriculum is designed in such a way that children are involved in ongoing dialogue and evaluation about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they want to make. Pupils evaluate their own learning in each Geography unit through peer and self-assessment. Observations of pupil progress within each lesson are used to plan subsequent teaching. Summative assessments are made at the end of each termly topic and reported to parents in the annual school report. It is the subject leader’s responsibility to monitor provision in Geography and to analyse assessment data. The subject leader will use the information gleaned from monitoring activities to complete an action plan annually to inform the SLT of attainment, progression and future actions.

Spirituality is subtly intertwined with geography as our children explore the diverse landscapes, cultures and connections that shape the world. Geography lessons offer a unique lens through which our children can appreciate the beauty and complexity of the Earth, fostering a sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world. Through the study of different regions, ecosystems and human environment interactions, our children may develop an understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things, promoting a sense of responsibility and preservation. Additionally, Geography provides a platform to explore the cultural and religious practices that are deeply rooted in specific geographical contexts, allowing our children to appreciate the diversity of spiritual beliefs across the globe. By engaging with the geographical aspects of our planet, our children can develop a universal view within the broader context of the Earth’s intricate tapestry.

Impact

By the time children leave Heskin Pemberton’s C of E Primary School they will:

• Have an excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
• Have an excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
• Have an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
• Be fluent in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
• Have the ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
• Have significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter.
• Developed geographical skills and techniques through highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork.
• Have a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
• Have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment