Geography
Back to Subjects'Cherish the natural world because you're a part of it and you depend on it.'
- Sir David Attenborough
Geography Curriculum Design Statement
Curriculum Intent
At Richard Wakefield Primary Academy, we aim for a high-quality geography curriculum which should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the natural and human aspects of the world around them. The core of our curriculum is the National Curriculum which we have developed to meet the needs of our children who enter school in line with the national average. The children will investigate a range of places – both in Britain and abroad – to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments and processes. We are committed to providing the children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Tutbury so that they can develop a real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special. The curriculum should enable the children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We believe that the children should enjoy and love learning about geography by gaining the knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.
Curriculum Implementation
We follow the National Curriculum as the core of our Geography teaching. As part of the multi academy trust, we have created our own Subject Progression Map from Year 1 to Year 6. This meets our specific needs to teach the progression of skills and knowledge in a logical sequence linked to the skill areas of the National Curriculum whilst also takes into account our context within our school curriculum. We have focused on the using the geographical features of the immediate area around the school to give Geography real meaning to our pupils. WE see the acquisition of geography as a series of concentric circles, beginning in our immediate locality and expanding to the world around them.
We have selected topics in a purposeful way to ensure that the identified skills and knowledge are embedded in our teaching. The KS2 progression map follows on from the KS1 map so that we are building in appropriate repetition and consolidation of geographical skills.
Each topic has its own topic web that acts as the key planning information for class teachers. This includes key vocabulary, questioning and key skills and knowledge. Plans should include opportunities for planned retrieval and assessment indicators. The key areas of assessment of Geography are the four key skills of the NC. Teachers assess against the skills through formative assessment during the year. We build differentiation into our teaching so that children are able to demonstrate greater depth in Geography. Assessment is also used to further develop the curriculum.
Curriculum Impact
We want children to have gained enjoyment of geography; knowledge of the world around them and different environments. They will have the ability to take practical geographical skills such as map reading to enable them to explore their world. We hope these foundations will enable them to develop not only their geographical skills and knowledge as they move into KS3 but also develop and engage their social conscience to protect the world around themselves.
What does Geography look like at Richard Wakefield?
We want our geographers to:
- Research and discuss geographical differences
- Interpret, analyse and collect data
- Make comparisons and draw conclusions
- Develop informed opinions
- Reflect on own beliefs about the world
Images coming soon!
Please find our Geography progression map here, highlighting the skills taught in each year group.
Useful Websites
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/geography/ - Interesting and current geography news and information.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zbkw2hv – BBC Geography. Resources, links and activities.