GEOGRAPHY

Geography is taught as an individual subject every half-term. Our Key Stage 1 curriculum provides the foundational knowledge, skills and vocabulary needed to progress into the Key Stage 2 curriculum: Opening Worlds.

Geography lessons focus on the objectives set out in the National Curriculum and we ensure that pupils understand the purpose of the learning and the skills they will be using to be geographers during each lesson.

As part of our Geography planning process, teachers work collaboratively on the following:

• The planning out of stories. The Opening Worlds curriculum is delivered very strongly through confident and fascinating story telling. Lessons can begin or end with a story to help the children understand the true facts of the geography they are learning, leaving misconceptions behind;
• A sequence of lessons, which carefully plans for progression and depth focusing on the geographical skills suited to the age group; 
• Quizzing is planned in at the end of every term to ensure that the knowledge has been understood;
• Consistent questioning that revisits the learning from the lesson, encouraging full sentence answers;
• Challenge questions for pupils to apply their learning;
• Trips and visiting experiences that will enhance their learning;
• Appropriate curriculum-themed home learning tasks which pupils complete at home.

Each unit in KS2 of Opening Worlds has access to a textbook and this is used alongside the storytelling of the teacher to build the children’s understanding of a range of vocabulary. For example, words which are covered in Year 3 are used again in Year 4-hill leads to mountain which builds to headland and cliff. Vocabulary progression is planned across the curriculum from Early Years through to Year 6. This constant cycle of explicit exposure to rich vocabulary, allows children to develop a greater understanding of not only the topics they are studying but also what they are reading.

We use a wide range of resources to ignite independence, excitement, and exploration during Geography lessons such as: Opening World’s textbooks, globes, atlases, Google Earth and different types of maps.  

Pupils learn about their local area and study geographical changes over time. The local area is fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. Pupils express their opinions on the human and physical features local to us and compare these to features found both nationally and internationally. 

We use monitoring activities throughout the year to gauge the impact of our Geography curriculum design. By investing time in reviewing learning, National Curriculum coverage, evaluating pupil voice, providing feedback, celebrating successes and highlighting areas of development, we are able to support our staff to maintain high standards and improve practice by identifying current needs. We also receive regular updates from Opening Worlds as part of our CPD.