Geography Curriculum Intent:
Our aim is for Geography to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will encourage a lifelong interest. Children learn about places and the processes (human and physical) that shape the environment, as well as the skills needed to collect and interpret information. We learn about local, British and world geography.
Implementation
Our Geography scheme of work aims to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them.
Our scheme encourages:
• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.
• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.
• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.
• A growing understanding of geographical terms and vocabulary.
Respect: Children are taught the importance of respecting their environment and other cultures around the world.
Responsibility: Through fieldwork, children are encouraged to take responsibility of their own learning, by completing research or relevant topics, looking after and choosing relevant equipment.
Reflection: lessons on topics such as climate change, encourage our children to reflect on the long-term impact of human actions and their role in looking after our Earth.
Impact
Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these four strands across each year group. Our Progression of skills and knowledge shows the skills taught within each year group and how these develop to ensure that attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.
We use the Kapow Primary scheme which is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their Geography skills to other areas of learning.
Enquiry questions form the basis for the units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions.
Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible.
Fieldwork includes smaller opportunities on the school grounds to larger-scale visits to investigate physical and human features. Developing fieldwork skills within the school environment and revisiting them in multiple units enables pupils to consolidate their understanding of various methods accessible
while giving children a thorough understanding of their locality, providing a solid foundation when comparing it with other places.
