Geography  

Geography School Policy

Intent

“A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives” (The National Curriculum, 2020, p.182)

 Geography encourages a holistic appreciation of how the world works and of the interconnections between concepts such as scale, community, cultural diversity, interdependence and sustainability. Geography is an area of the curriculum which contextualises and extends the possibilities for developing and applying language and mathematics, and enriches understanding of, and in, subjects from science and history to art and design (Scoffman 2017). Through active engagement in primary geography, children of St. Paul’s CofE VC Junior School are enabled to learn not only about the world but also how it works, how it fits together and how to make a difference and become positive global citizens. We believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. The geography curriculum at St. Paul’s CofE VC Junior School enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can be used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. Our aim is to inspire in our children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We aim 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.

Implementation

Geography at St. Paul’s CofE VC Junior School is taught through blocks of study with close attention to cross-curricular opportunities and current affairs. This allows the students to achieve depth in their learning and contextual understanding. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each topic and lessons are planned using our whole school Geography Progression of Knowledge and Skills documents. The students start to learn about their locality and where they live in Year 3, understanding Shepton Mallet as their town, where they live and their place in it. This moves onto learning about the UK, Europe and finally countries across the world drawing comparisons between them. Planned opportunities are given to each year group for children to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to investigate and find out. This informs the programme of study and ensures that lessons are relevant and take account of children’s different starting points. Class teachers assess children’s understanding in Geography through quizzes and this data is analysed to improve the children’s learning in Geography. Cross curricular outcomes in Geography are specifically planned for and the local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes. There are extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom. These are embedded in practice through trips, visitors, the Big Schools’ Birdwatch and annual Geography and Eco-Science Weeks. This enhances their educational, social, physical and emotional development.

Impact

Children are able to review their successes in achieving the lesson objectives and are actively encouraged to consider what they would like to learn. As children progress through the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. We aim to instil and understand the values of our society and how we can protect our environment and planet for years to come. The children of St. Paul’s CofE VC Junior School will understand their responsibilities as global citizens and the power they have to initiate change both locally and globally.

Curriculum

Geography National Curriculum

St Paul's CofE Junior School Curriculum Tracker

Progression of Skills

geography progression of skills.pdf