Geography
Intent
At Birchen Coppice we aim to engage our children in Geography through creative and effective teaching. We want our children to feel inspired and understand the complexity of our world by studying people and places from all corners of the globe. We develop the children’s knowledge of their locality as well as the world in which they live. This begins with an understanding of their place in their family, community, local area and builds toward knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world.
Implementation:
The concept of Geography and locality can be hard for young children to access. Many of our children often don’t leave Kidderminster or travel beyond their local area. We therefore will always start Geographical understanding with connecting to where in the world they live, and what is around them in their locality. This can then be extended to reach into further parts of our country, Great Britain and then extending to further countries and continents. We make our children aware of the subject that they are learning; ‘We are Geographers, we are learning about the world.’
Our Geography curriculum is sequenced and designed in order to build upon pupils' prior knowledge and understanding as they progress through the primary years.
Based upon the National Curriculum and the individual needs of our children, we have created a Geography progression map, which sets out the objectives taught in each year group. To support the quality planning of Geography, we are currently using the Cornerstones curriculum.
We support learning with opportunity for field work which is again mapped out on the progression map. Field work is a fantastic opportunity for us to inspire our children and widen their cultural experiences. For instance, our Year 2 children have the opportunity to visit a coastal town in order to compare it to their local area. Teachers are also encouraged to use a range of resources such as videos, photographs and newspaper articles during lessons to help ensure learning is as practical and immersive as possible.
Geography learning is demonstrated in floor books for EYFS (connecting to Understanding of the World) and KS1 (with children able to progress onto individual books transferred to these at an appropriate stage) and in KS2 children will undertake Geography learning in their History and Geography books. Lessons are differentiated by scaffolding, questioning, resources and adult support so that Geography is a subject that all pupils can access and enjoy regardless of their ability to write.
Depending on the focus of the topic, Geography can be taught within a chunked block, through weekly lessons or a combination to suit the sequence. This is mapped out by staff as part of the planning process.
Maps are displayed throughout the school and teachers are encouraged to reference these when appropriate during all lessons to help to develop an awareness of the globe.
Impact:
The impact of Geography is monitored by class teachers and the Geography Leader.
Teachers review the outcomes of their Geography lessons and this is captured on the Geography progression map. Teachers will reteach objectives and address any misconceptions where necessary. The progression map builds on existing knowledge and when used effectively this will enable children to become secure in Geography.
The impact of our Geography curriculum extends beyond subject-specific knowledge. Pupils acquire transferable skills, such as inquiry. These skills support pupils' development across the wider curriculum, fostering a love of learning and preparing them for future education and life beyond school.