Geography
Westrop Geography Curriculum – Develop a world view!
What are we trying to achieve through our geography curriculum? (Intent)
At Westrop Primary and Nursery School, all we do is underpinned by our strong vision and values. Our vision and values support our ‘Curriculum Drivers’ which offer golden threads throughout our curriculum and ensure we have clear drivers for all that we want to achieve for our children.
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In Geography, children are provided with bespoke knowledge organisers. These give all children a solid foundation of the area they will be studying. Children and teachers refer to these knowledge organisers throughout the topic. Children’s confidence is developed further by using a practical enquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. We provide the pupils with opportunities to explore first-hand their locality, maps and other geographical places of interest. |
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Children's well-being is supported by providing a cross-curricular approach towards teaching and learning. Underlying this approach is the belief that all children should work together to become informed and active future citizens. This allows children to understand how their lives are connected to others and are both shaped by and impact on, the environments they inhabit so that they are to make responsible choices for the future. |
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Geography provides many levels of challenge for the children at Westrop. Children are provided maps and other digital resources and are then presented with a ‘learning question’. Children are challenged to find out about through research or class discussions to answer their 'learning question'. Or make a presentation. Geography is lived in at Westrop not just merely learned. |
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The geography curriculum at Westrop was built with the locality at its heart. At each phase, children are taken out into the immediate locality to discover some geographical treasure our town has to offer. This then builds into our wider local areas such as Lechlade (when we look at rivers). Children from as young as 3 or 4 have good global awareness and learn about countries and different cultures. We have many Global links provided by our Global coordinator and have achieved our global school award. |
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Geography dictates communication, the etymology of the name gÄ“ ‘earth’ + graphia ‘writing’ demands it. Therefore, geography at Westrop is underpinned by vocabulary, discussions, stories, sources, books, and research. Children are provided opportunities to present work in ways they choose and given the time to share their work with their peers, parents and other adults in school. |
How is the Geography Curriculum delivered? (Implementation)
- Geography is taught from EYFS to Year 6 and is a foundation subject. It is taught for approximately one afternoon every week.
- The curriculum is delivered in small steps within a topic unit where knowledge and skills are continuously revisited and built upon as children progress through school.
- There is coverage of both knowledge and skills in locational and place knowledge, human and physical geography and field work.
- Planning is developed by class teachers from the two-year cycle long term plan. Where relevant Geographical topics are laid out. Topics are taught across two terms and have strong links with English and Art. There is a clear progression of skills that each teacher follows. Planning is also supported by the development of topic boxes (within school) and documents from the Geographical Association.
- All lessons have the opportunity for children to be challenged. TA and Teacher support can further develop the children’s thinking and learning. Children are provided with opportunities to lead their learning in mini projects and autonomy as to how to present a piece of work.
- Where possible, cross-curricular links are made with English, Art, D.T, Maths and History, and ICT. For instance, the use of historical maps of the locality and the use of Google maps in class.
- First-hand experiences are crucial in geography lessons with the emphasis on learning through asking relevant questions.
- Work is recorded from Years 1-6 in Topic books and EYFS through Tapestry. A variety of work will be evident: short explanations, photos, labelled diagrams, drama, freeze frames, videos, mini-projects, posters, and fact files are to name but a few.
- Children develop a wide range of skills including asking questions, making observations and taking measurements; engaging in some practical enquiry; recording and presenting evidence they have found; answering questions and developing opinions and raising further questions.
- Through the course of the year, children are introduced to a range of countries through our global work and look at many different aspects of that country from locality to culture, trade, music and art.
- Geography as in all subjects, starts in our wonderful EYFS and is explored through the themes of ‘Mathematics’ where they understand position through words alone. For example, “The bag is under the table,” – with no pointing they discuss and describe a familiar route and location using words such as ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’. Children also use the theme ‘Understanding the World’. Using all their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials, they begin to understand the need to respect and care for the natural environment and all living things. Children also start to understand that there are different countries in the work and talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photos. In reception the theme ‘Understanding the World" is developed further where children draw information from a simple map, recognise some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries. Children also further explore the natural world around them and begin to recognise some environments that are different to the ones in which they live. Children move into KS1 having met their early learning goals in ‘Understanding the World People, Culture and Communities and The Natural World" and are able to talk about their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps. Children can explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and (when appropriate) maps. Children move into KS2 knowing some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. As well as understanding some of the important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons.
- Geography pulls Westrop together as a school where we will all work on a different host country every term.
What difference is the Geography Curriculum making? (Impact)
- Underlying our approach to Geography is the belief that children should understand that the past has many different facets. Each era is different from the next, as well as our own
- Geography builds children's understanding that we all should work together to become informed and active future citizens.
- We believe that pupils leave Westrop equipped to understand how their lives are connected to others and are both shaped by and impact on the environments they inhabit so that they are to make responsible choices for the future.
- From their different starting points, all children will make at least good progress and achieve their potential academically, emotionally, creatively, and socially. Knowledge, understanding and skills will be secured and embedded so that children attain.
- Pupils will have good communication skills and will listen respectfully and with tolerance to the views of others using evidence to support or refute ideas or arguments.
- Pupils will take pride in all that they do, always striving to do their best.
- Pupils will be able to explore their own investigations, respectfully sharing their own thoughts and opinions whilst understanding that they may differ from others.
- Pupils will demonstrate emotional resilience and the ability to persevere when they encounter challenge.
- Pupils will develop a sense of self-awareness and become confident in their own abilities.
- Teachers planning, ensure that children are accessing work at age related expectations, with regular opportunities to be challenged through higher-level questioning.
- Pupils will competently use and know the meaning of agreed vocabulary correctly when talking and writing about historic events.
- Children are assessed according to age related expectations in line with curriculum requirements. This is done in line with the school assessment calendar three times a year. This information is monitored by the coordinator.
How to Help Your Child at Home
We live in and around geography - from the streets we walk to the weather we endure - so supporting your child’s geography may not be as daunting as you may first think.
The principle here is to know your local area and explore it with your children. Walk to school/nursery if possible rather than go by car. Touch the outdoor world, keep a record of what you see on the way. Select a different topic each time, for example, Day 1: - how many red objects can we see? Day 2: - what different types of vehicles did we observe?
Play "I Spy" on the way to school. What a way to investigate the features of places! Point out the range of maps that we can use to help us unravel the mystery of places. Be map collectors in places that you visit that give out free maps - shopping centres, country parks, town centres and museums. Read and explore them with your children. Let older children investigate route maps and help them to plan the route to places that you visit. Look at the food items that you are purchasing, note where they come from and look for the countries together in an atlas at home, or on internet maps. Look at the labels in clothing items, where are the items made? Go for a walk in a local wood or forest at different times of the year e.g. springtime or autumn (leaf kicking time). Seasonality is a very important pattern in their lives. Watch the weather forecast - even better listen to different radio channel forecasts. Did they get it right? Watch items on dramatic world weather events. Talk about topic issues highlighted by news programmes such as News Round. School subscriptions to Purple Mash also have a vast array of useful tools linked to topics that will aid your child in their learning at home.
The list is endless – you will have many ideas of your own. In a nutshell, you can help your children learn by offering them exciting activities and by encouraging them to ask and to try to answer questions about the world in which we live.
Useful websites links
Arctic Travel Explorers – a virtual 'Lights over Lapland' tour
Tutorful –top geography websites, YouTube videos and resources
Online Film Festival – resistance in the rainforest
Reach out reporter – news and information about nature
National Geographic – information and games for children
Virtual Tours – virtual tours of zoos, land marks of various countries
Expeditions – Free virtual augmentation app for all ages to take virtual trips around the world to hundreds of destinations