Geography
Intent
At all key stages, Geography is a mix of knowledge-based and skills-based teaching. We want to inspire children to be confident learners who can take action and respond to change. Through studying and comparing places, people and natural and human environments, children will gain important Geographical skills, which will lead to a greater knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s human and physical forms and processes. We aim to deliver lessons, which provoke questioning, creative thought and curiosity, with research and investigation playing an important part. Children will gain vital skills and knowledge, which will equip them for lifelong learning and a deeper understanding of how the world works and their place within it.
Implementation
Where possible we link our Geography and History teaching so that children can be taught about how historical events and change impacts on the geography of a place.
Children in the EYFS both at Nursery and in the Reception class are encouraged to learn about and question aspects of their familiar world. Children also learn about different occupations and ways of life through story and role-play.
We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensure that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. Existing knowledge is checked at the start of each new topic. This ensure that teaching is informed by the children's starting points and takes account of pupil voice. Lesson content and tasks are designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with our commitment to inclusion.
It is important that children develop the skills of a geographer by fully immersing them in all areas of the subject. The local area is fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom. School trips and fieldwork are provided to give first-hand experiences, which enhance children's understanding of the world beyond their locality. During KS1, children are taught geography in two mixed aged classes, Reception and Year 1 and Year 1 and 2. There is a focus on developing their knowledge of the World, the United Kingdom and Hathersage. At KS2, children are taught geography weekly in mixed aged classes.
We provide a variety of opportunities for geography learning inside and outside the classroom. Children develop practical geography skills, including map and compass work, interpreting aerial and landscape photographs and field sketches during fieldwork. We use our school grounds and the local area for fieldwork and developing geographical skills.
Impact
Children will develop the necessary skills and knowledge to understand, explore and navigate the world around them and understand the significance of their actions and their place within it. As they move through the school, they will develop skills progressively not only enabling them to meet the requirements of the National curriculum but to become competent Geographers as they move to Secondary school.
Geography Across the School
Children across the whole school have been busy exploring a range of topics in all classes. Below is a snapshot of the Geography skills and knowledge the children have developed this year.
Children in EYFS and KS1 have been busy this year finding out about Hathersage and their local area as part of the topic, ‘Hooray for Hathersage.' As part of the topic children placed areas of interest on a map of Hathersage, found out where Hathersage is on a map of the local area they then followed a map of Hathersage on a walk around the village.
KS1 children used their map skills during an orienteering activity in Brookfield Manor, the children had great fun completing the orienteering course using compasses and maps. The Children found out about the four countries that make up the United Kingdom.
In Kinder Class the children found out about the traditions of Scotland by taking part in their own Highland games. The games started with highland dancing, then they tossed the caber, welly wanged and threw shot-put (bean bags).
In KS2 the Year 3 children have looked in detail at Hathersage using aerial photographs, they completed an information leaflet all about the village and created an informative display for the school.
In Year 4 the children loved the volcano topic, they created interesting posters, they located major volcanoes on a world map and at the end of the topic made their own exploding volcanoes.
In Year 5 children found countries that were involved in World War 2 on a map, they then developed their map skills by identifying the position of latitude and longitude for each of these countries and learned about time zones. Closer to home the children created their own maps with a key of their local area.
In Year 6 children have studied in detail India and the Indus Valley. As part of the India topic the children researched and created their own newspaper report about the devastating floods in 2016. They investigated the socio-economic impact of the floods on the region and what has been done to remedy the damage. The children then learnt about various natural disasters, their causes and impacts.
