Geography

In our school we aim to develop curiosity of the world in Geography and provide opportunities for children to learn new vocabulary and to reflect, challenge and understand their world. Our context dictates that this is a crucial part of our curriculum if we are to achieve our ambition for every child in this school to see themselves as a Global citizen who has a responsibility to know environmental issues and play their part in creating a sustainable future. Children work from a local to a global perspective very rapidly. 

Our core values are our values for life and British citizenship and these are at the heart of our curriculum. Children are expected to rehearse and demonstrate the core values in their learning. Experiences which develop pupil voice, care for the environment, people and places are emphasised. We aim to ensure children are motivated and engaged in their learning. 

We teach geography as a specific subject and the whole school theme in Autumn term is a Geography unit. We teach children how the knowledge of one subject transfers into other subjects. We have high expectations of our children ‘from the off’ and provide knowledge first and experience second in a sequence of lessons. This is based on research about approaches to learning and curriculum design. (Rosenshine, Lemov, Wiliam etc) 

Geography is taught using a range of high quality texts, information technology and visuals, including small world play and objects of curiosity. 

We believe that children should learn information and then understand it in context for each unit. With this in mind, children will make multiple visits to a place during their time in school when they have acquired a greater depth of knowledge. For example, pupils visit city locations throughout their time here and this builds on their knowledge of the Peak District (physical geography), Whirlow,  Sheffield City, industrial heritage , green spaces and parks. Having the tram on our doorstep helps us to explore the variety of places, landscapes and land use in this wonderful city with our children.

We have team members with a Geography degree who enjoy travelling and have a real passion for the subject, and sharing knowledge between teachers is key to ensuring everyone has the necessary confidence and understanding to develop the subject with their children. 

In Foundation Stage, Geography teaches an understanding of places and environments. Through their work in geography, children learn about their local area and compare their life in this area with that in other regions in the United Kingdom, and in the rest of the world. They learn how to draw and interpret maps and they develop the skills of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, children gain an appreciation of life in other cultures. Geography teaching also motivates children to find out about the physical world and enables them to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of mankind.

 The taught content supports children's progression into Y1 with a focus on the following progression strands:

• Geographical Enquiry

• Physical Geography

• Human Geography

• Geographical Knowledge

'Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical

world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal

experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them –

from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of

society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a

broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their

understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse

world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with

words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening

children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension.' EYFS 2021

Elements which are brought to life in the geography curriculum:

• Educational excellence: Geographical expertise is built on substantive geographical knowledge. Underpinning the National Curriculum, primary substantive knowledge is driven by Jackson’s four ‘Big Concepts’: space and place, scale and connection, proximity and distance and relational thinking.   
• Character development: Geography teachers provide enrichment opportunities both inside and outside of school, ensuring outdoor learning helps to put theory into practice and to foster a love of geography. They help to build their own identity and develop their sense of place. 
• Service to communities: Geography teachers develop key contextual knowledge of geographically significant places, which includes the defining of human and physical characteristics and how these help shape understanding of key processes  

Geography Yearly Overview 

Assessment 

Alongside learning the ‘sticky’ substantive knowledge for each year group, we assess the children’s ability to apply their knowledge through an assessment piece at the end of the autumn term. This task involves children analysing an unseen source, which is related to the areas of geography they have been learning about.  It provides an opportunity for children to use the knowledge and skills they have learned about and apply them in a different context, therefore demonstrating true understanding and application.

The source analysis task, recollection of the ‘sticky’ knowledge, lesson outcomes and understanding in lessons are all used to inform the teacher assessment judgement for each child.  At the end of each term, teachers will decide whether a child is working above, at or below age related expectations in geography.  This information will then be used to inform future teaching to ensure pupils keep up.

Knowledge Organisers

Our families want to know about their children's learning and regularly attend 'Curriculum Showcases' where they see and hear their children perform and present - celebrating learning together. Geography knowledge organisers show timelines, places to visit, books to read and films to watch that will add to children's learning experiences and provide ideas for extra-curricular learning which families participate in at home. See below for examples of Geography knowledge organisers that are shared with our families ahead of the summer holidays so that they can engage with learning before lessons begin. 

Learning Journeys

Geography Ambassadors

Geography ambassadors represent our school and promote all things Geography.  

Our Geography Ambassadors share their passion for geography by taking a leading role in geography visits and sharing their knowledge with their peers. See the slideshow below to see our Geography Ambassadors supporting a KS2 visit to the Peak District.