Geography
Intent
Our intention at Helmsley CP school is to inspire children to become curious and critical thinkers when exploring the world of Geography. We will deliver a cohesive curriculum that is tailored to meet the needs of all children and ensuring that they can apply their geographical skills on a local, national and international level. The curriculum will be designed to ensure that children are able to revisit and deepen their understanding on multiple aspects and skills throughout their time at Helmsley. The children will be appreciative of their local surroundings and will be able to make high quality links to their units of work and the places they live and visit. The children will be able to question, debate and examine cause and effect which will contribute towards their assessment and understanding of the topic.
Our intent is for children to have:
- An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
- An excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
- An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
- Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.7
- The ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
- Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter
- Highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
- A passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
- The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.
Implementation
- In EYFS, we implement geography through exploring the use of maps within provision and exposing children to different countries, particularly through their child led interests. We also link our half termly focus to meet the whole school curriculum and will compare our country to others with contrasting features. Through the year, children will observe natural changes through the changing of the seasons and will begin to understand the effect changing seasons have in our geographical world.
- The different components of geography; ‘location and place’, ‘human and physical processes’ and ‘skills and fieldwork’ will be taught in unison within teacher’s medium-term planning and not be isolated throughout the year.
- Geography will be taught in 3 blocks throughout the year and a focus driver will steer the children’s learning. These sessions will be taught once a week.
- When Geography isn’t a topic driver, links will still be made through other focussed sessions. Staff and children will also make geographical links through our global curriculum fortnights.
- Children’s level of understanding will be measured through end of topic quizzes, and debates that will challenge children to apply their learning through stimulating questions linked to their local area.
