Geography
The rationale for our Geography Curriculum draws upon inspiration from the Geographical Association and also references Ofsted's Research Review Series: Geography.
Our Intent:
' Thinking Geographically offers a uniquely powerful way of seeing the world.'
Geographical Association.
At Ursula Taylor we have designed our Geography Curriculum to encourage excitement, curiosity and creativity so that our children develop and enhance their geographical thinking to build an increasingly extensive knowledge of different countries, regions and features.
Through our Geography curriculum, we aim to:
1.) Provide all of our children with 'substantive knowledge' including:
- a.) Locational knowledge - e.g. name, locate locations and use positional systems.
- b.) Place Knowledge - The connection of location and physical and/or human geography processes with personal experience.
- c.) Environmental, Physical and Human Knowledge - E.g. migration, climate change and deforestation
- d.) Geographical skills and fieldwork - e.g. using maps and globes and collecting first hand evidence.
and
'Disciplinary Knowledge' to think like a Geographer, choosing, building and linking knowledge.
2.) To support our children to make greater sense of the world by organising and connecting information and ideas about people, places, processes and environments.
3.) Increase the range and accuracy of investigative skills and to develop their ability to select and apply these to geographical enquiry.
4.) To provide children with a geographical education which builds upon skills and knowledge in a progressive and sequential way. Ensuring that pupils geographical education begins in the Early Years and builds year on year, developing children's expertise.
5.) To give children the opportunity to learn about the world around them, to build their own identify and develop their sense of place to know where's where.
6.) To enhance and develop our children's knowledge through exploring localities and understanding similarities between them.
Our Implementation:
The Geography curriculum at Ursula Taylor is based on the National Curriculum and has been structured to be complementary to the topics / themes we cover during the school year.
Whilst we operate a topic based curriculum, each topic is carefully planned to ensure full coverage and a breadth and depth of Geographical experience during the school year.
We have a whole school overview which details the Geography covered at each point in the school year. This is planned to give children plenty of opportunity to learn about place, space and environment through the key strands of: Geographical Enquiry, Direction / Location, Drawing Maps, Representation, Using Maps, Scale / Distance, Perspective, Map Knowledge and Style of Map.
We have mapped the knowledge and skills covered to ensure that they are taught in a progressive and sequential way, to ensure sufficient breadth of content and depth.
Teachers break down the content they wish children to learn into small steps / chunks. When planning content, teachers take into account what their children need based on their prior knowledge and experience.
Lessons are planned to be engaging, encourage children to be curious and ask questions. Key vocabulary is taught and built on year on year.
Geographical skills of enquiry and fieldwork are taught to ensure children experience these first hand and make connections with their learning in the classroom.
Teacher's identify and connect misconceptions through careful use of informal assessment techniques, targeted marking and feedback and through reviewing progress through analysis of outcomes.
We are an inclusive school, which tailors the curriculum and lesson delivery to meet the individual needs of the children.
The impact of our curriculum:
The most important impact of our Geography curriculum is that our children will display confidence and enjoyment in Geography. They will understand their place in the world through exploration, critical thinking and curiosity. They will know more about the world around them and the relevance of people's attitudes, beliefs and experiences.
The impact of our Geography curriculum is measured in a number of ways: questioning during lessons, through providing marking and feedback, listening to child led discussion, through pupil voice and reviewing work in children's books.
Through experiencing the Geography curriculum at Ursula Taylor, our children will:
- Have a growing knowledge of the world and their place in it.
- Have increased their knowledge of location and place, human and physical processes and extended their understanding and application of Geographical skills.
- Children will have an understanding of Geographical vocabulary and concepts.
- Children will be able to use what they know from their learning in Geography within other contexts to develop a wider understanding of the world they live in and make meaningful connections.
At Ursula Taylor we evaluate the impact of our Geography curriculum through:
- Subject leader led discussions with our children.
- Reviewing children's work in books.
- Observing teaching and learning both inside and outside the classroom environment.