Intent

Helmdon Primary School follows the expectations of the National curriculum and ensures that there is provision of a high-quality geography education.  We aim to ensure that the pupils have a deep understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to access their geography learning. We aim to ensure that pupils develop a curiosity about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The curriculum is planned and sequenced to ensure that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before, and towards designed end points. We aim to ensure that there is a difference between pupils retaining knowledge when they are first taught and this becoming a longer, sustained, development of learning.

Implement

We alternate our Geography and History topics ensuring that our children receive a well-rounded teaching of the humanities subjects throughout the year. Geography is sequenced across the school to ensure that the National Curriculum is thoroughly covered. The sequencing of learning year on year builds on the pupils’ knowledge, reinforcing what they have already learnt and building on this. Geography teaching focuses on enabling children to think as geographers.

The school has implemented a rich Geography curriculum, which enables pupils to achieve by;

• Ensuring there are clear learning outcomes for all subjects allowing for progression, challenge and reinforcement of key knowledge and skills.
• Inspiring pupils to want to learn more and to enjoy learning through enrichment activities and creative outcomes that are relevant our children and engage them in the learning process.
• Promoting effective learning habits including perseverance, teamwork, creativity, empathy and reflectiveness

In addition, the key themes that run throughout our Geography units are:

Impact – Investigating how our world has changed and the effect that humans are having on the environment. 

Connections - Ensuring children have a sound place knowledge of our country and our relationship with the rest of the world.

Impact

At Helmdon Primary School the children are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in Geography using subject specific vocabulary. They are able to share their enjoyment of Geography and are able to recall their learning over time. Children’s work demonstrates that Geography is taught at an age appropriate standard across each year group. Their work demonstrates that they are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence. The progression in learning for Key Stage 1 and 2 is outlined in our Geography Progression document. Learning is regularly revisited in class - each lesson starts with a 'flashback' session, with reference made to learning in previous weeks, terms, years and key stages. When teachers start new units, they recap on prior learning and use our threads to deepen children’s understanding and knowledge of Geography.

Through discussion and feedback, children talk enthusiastically about their geography lessons and show a genuine curiosity and interest in the areas they have explored. Children use acquired vocabulary to interpret and convey their understanding of the world. They can analyse and interpret information in order to question and reflect on the world and its inhabitants.