GEOGRAPHY
Our Curriculum Threads
Our Geography curriculum encourages children to develop their geographical concepts, geographical thinking and LANGUAGE AND ORACY skills through the enquiry-based approach. The children are introduced to, and build upon geographical language, concepts and ideas through purposeful investigations and enquiries which alight WISDOM AND WONDER. This also ensures that not only do the children progress with their subject knowledge, but also in their development as young geographers. We pride ourselves in having an INCLUSIVE geography classroom which provides a positive teaching and learning environment to promote self-esteem and help students to understand and value DIVERSITY and challenge assumptions. Our enquiries take place in a positive learning environment which allow children to have a go, make 'good mistakes' and promotes a can-do, HEALTHY AND HAPPY attitude.
Intent
At Winkfield St Mary’s, our intent is to inspire children’s natural curiosity and to engage them in enquiry-based learning. Our Geography curriculum enables our children to become critical thinkers, exploring the relationship and interactions between people and the environments in which they live. The many opportunities and challenges that will arise during their lifetime will be very much about Geography at personal, national and global scales therefore we aim to instil in our pupils a desire to excel in terms of their acquisition of long-lasting knowledge and understanding as well as mastery of core geographical skills.
We have ensured that content taught includes an even proportion of physical and human investigations and we aim to keep our Geography curriculum relevant and topical. Our Geography curriculum is sequenced in a way that means children will be able to build on previous knowledge and understanding as they tackle more complex and demanding enquiries. In addition to this, we aim to widen our children’s experience of the world around them giving them a better understanding and empathy with their environment.
Implementation
At Winkfield St Mary’s we use Collins Connected Geography Scheme which has an enquiry focused approach to the teaching and learning of Geography. Geography is taught as explicit lessons in Years 1 to 6 with the Early Years developing their Geography knowledge through ‘Understanding the World’, particularly that which addresses the knowledge and skills expectations of the People, Culture and Communities Early Learning Goal.
Our Geography curriculum structures learning through big question led enquiries about relevant geographical topics, places and themes. Children are taught to not only build on subject knowledge and understanding but to become more adept at critical thinking, specialised vocabulary and their grasp on subject concepts. They are encouraged to use a range of enquiry skills, to ask questions and to conduct their own research.
Teaching and learning at Winkfield St Mary’s is interactive and practical allowing opportunities for pupils to work independently and collaboratively and we aim to use high quality resources and activities to support this including the use of mysteries, maps at different scales, geographical puzzles, annotated diagrams, photographs, drama and the application of a wide range of writing genres. Our teaching and learning in Geography also recognise the importance of fieldwork with a number of investigations involving observation, recording, presentation, interpretation and the evaluation of geographical information gathered outside of the classroom.
Impact
At Winkfield St Mary’s, we set clear objectives and outcomes for the children in terms of their knowledge and understanding and skills acquisition in Geography. We ensure that when assessing our children, we take evidence from a wide range of sources to inform the process, such as interaction during discussions, related questioning, day to day observations, practical activities, the gathering, presentation and communication of fieldwork data and writing in different genres. We aim to use the outcomes to build a wider picture of what the children know, understand and can do.
Learning walks, book looks and pupil conferencing are carried out termly to monitor correct curriculum coverage, high-quality teaching and learning, as well as the children’s retention of learning and attitude towards Geography. Teachers will make a summative judgement at the end of each year about the achievement of each child against the subject learning goals for Geography.
In Early Years, children will be assessed against the Early Years Learning Goals, particularly that which addresses the knowledge and skills expectations of the People, Culture and Communities. Through these assessments we can evaluate children’s understanding of taught concepts and therefore can address any misconceptions or gaps in learning in up-coming lessons. This ongoing assessment and support will allow all children to achieve their potential as geographers.