Our subject ambassadors are: Gracie Y6 and Grace Y5

Abbey Gates Primary School

Geography Curriculum Offer

Intent

It is our intent that through our Geography Offer at Abbey Gates Primary School, children will develop a deep understanding and interest in the world. Pupils will have a holistic appreciation of the world including an understanding of concepts such as: diversity, community, scale and sustainability. Abbey Gates pupils will be considerate and curious, wanting to explore why and how. Children will be able to use their geographical knowledge and experience to make links with maths, science, languages, history, art and DT. Pupils will have an acceptance and appreciation of a range of cultures and understand how life is different and how it is similar in different places. At Abbey Gates, we want our learners to celebrate diversity and have an appreciation for the cultures across the world, and also in the UK and our local area. We want our learners to become resourceful, confident and aspirational. We aim to achieve this through providing opportunities for children to use high quality resources, to research, to ask questions and to actively partake in outdoor learning and field work. Pupils will have an understanding of their impact on the world and how we can all make steps to protect the environment, knowing what they can do to take care and take responsibility for the world we live in and the impact this can have on our futures. Children at Abbey Gates will know that they are all capable of making a difference in the world.

Implementation

At Abbey Gates, we believe that nothing is learnt until it is in our Long Term Memory and that memory is the residue of thought. Teachers aim to help pupils embed ‘Sticky Knowledge’ and equip them with key geographical skills. This is done through high quality teaching and resourcing, first-hand experiences which capture and engage, and the opportunity to question, critique and think deeper. The key skills and knowledge are revisited each year as the curriculum are mapped out across each year group from EYFS to year 6 in our Abbey Gates Curriculum. Sequences of lessons are planned using this progression mapping within and across year groups. Teachers know what has come before and where the learning is going to lead to.

EXPLORE

At Abbey Gates, the school year is split into 3 projects: Discover, Explore and Create. These projects are split across terms, Explore in the Autumn Term, Discover in the Spring Term and Create in the Summer Term. Geography is the focus of the Explore project. During these projects, children are provided with a ‘Big Question’. This question allows for children to learn key skills and knowledge, think deeply, ask questions, critique, make links and consider their effect on the world. This, in turn, allows for opportunities to further develop writing, oracy, reading, maths, science, languages, history, art and DT.

An example of a Big Question is “What makes the UK unique?” This allows the children to explore themes such as: diversity, community, compassion and peace, whilst also developing an appreciation for where we live, how the UK compares to other places around the world and developing compass skills and field work.

In EYFS the ‘Development Matters’ and ‘Understanding the World’ curriculum areas lend themselves to the EXPLORE philosophy and are opportunities for the children to begin their geographical inquiry.

Our curriculum drivers: possibilities and diversity are implemented within Geography planning to realise our intent. For example, our project mats outline the possibilities of geographical careers, which our children can consider and we invite people, who are experts in these fields, to visit school to inspire our pupils.

Impact

The impact of our Geography offer is measured through our comprehensive monitoring cycle, which includes book looks, learning walks, pupil voice, planning scrutiny and curriculum intent reviews. Reviews feed into an action plan for improvement, which leaders from each phase will then take back to their teams for action.

We assess and track Geography against Benchmark Standards in each phase. In assessing, we are looking for sustained mastery, inspired learners and children who are fulfilling their potential.

The intended impact of our Geography curriculum offer is outlined below:

· Children can articulate and explain what Geography is.

· Children are equipped with extensive geographical knowledge and vocabulary, which is embedded.

· Children have a passion for Geography, and a sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.

· Children have an excellent knowledge of different places.

· Children have an excellent understanding of the ways in which places are organised, interdependent and interconnected.

· Children understand how human and physical environments are related.

· Children are fluent in geographical enquiry and presentational techniques.

· Children have the ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.

· Children use their imagination and creativity to interpret and represent geographical subject matter.

· Children competently develop fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.

· Children are able to express well-balanced opinions, supported and evidenced with knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.