Geography

St Mewan CP School - Geography

Intent:

Geography is a dynamic and exciting subject, with great appeal to children. At St Mewan Primary School we endorse that Geography education should inspire pupils to be curious and fascinated about the World. We aim to provide children with the skills to think creativity and critically about the World around them. Through explicit teaching of the National Curriculum, our geography curriculum will provide pupils with knowledge about places, people, resources and natural and human environments; together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.  

We aim to inspire all pupils to ‘think like a geographer’ and ‘talk like a geographer ’through providing them with the knowledge, skills, understanding and vocabulary to do so. We hope that all of our pupils will be keen to continue their Geographical studies further in their education and beyond and to be given aspirations to learn about and experience the wider world beyond the classroom which will enrich their lives. We aspire to give pupils a detailed understanding of their local coastal and rural context but also to explain how this fits in the wider global context through geographical trips locally and links with the wider world. We are passionate about equipping all our pupils with the skills and knowledge to be responsible citizens of our world who show respect and understanding to people from other places and cultures and model good behaviours. We strive to provide them with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their full potential and have aspirations within and beyond their locality. We ensure inclusivity for pupils in our delivery of the geography curriculum and challenge for those who require it.  

Implementation:

Geography is taught in blocks throughout the year, so children achieve depth in their learning. Every topic has a key question and subsequent questions for learning. Through these the subject lead has identified the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary for each topic and consideration has been given to the progression of skills and knowledge in topics when sequencing learning throughout each year group across the school. At the beginning of each topic, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to find out. A focus of vocabulary is provided when teaching so pupils understand subject-specific vocabulary relating to these topics. Work is recorded in curriculum books and can be evidenced in a range of ways including: art work, written work, discussions, photographs or diagrams. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. Where relevant, links are made with other localities in the world for broader learning. Emphasis is placed on enquiry-based approach to help pupils gain a coherent knowledge of each unit of work covered throughout the school. Our Geography curriculum is well thought out and planned to demonstrate a progression of skills and knowledge from Nursery to Year 7. 

Specific content is planned by teachers from the key questions determined by the subject lead which detail precise geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. We strongly encourage this subject to be taught both inside and outside of the classroom, using as many practical experiences as possible. 

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) pupils develop their geographical thinking through ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World’ (The World and People and Communities). 

Impact: