Geography
Intent
At Discovery Primary Academy, our Geography Curriculum is designed to ignite children’s curiosity about the world around them. We are determined that, alongside Geographical Knowledge, there will be a high focus on the development of specific Geographical Skills through discrete Geography lessons to ensure children know more, can do more and remember more.
The teaching of Geography in our academy is intended to be inclusive and equip pupils to ask questions about the wider world around them, analyse evidence and statistics, think critically and develop informed judgements, so that they know more and remember more.
Geography is delivered as a discrete subject and, wherever possible, cross-curricular links are made. However, teachers make it explicit to the children that they are learning geographical skills and encourage them to think like ‘Geographers.’ This is enhanced by the addition of 'Working Geographically' slides to inform children of the skills they will be learning. Pupils are encouraged to develop their skills such as interpreting maps, reading a compass, collecting and analysing data as evidence and communicating geographical information in a variety of ways.
Implementation
Geography lessons are planned and delivered to reflect Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. Opportunities are planned to study various countries and processes around the world and compare them to one another to deepen children’s understanding and sense of scale. Knowledge organisers are used so that children have access to key language and meanings, to help them understand and readily apply this knowledge to their written, mathematical and verbal communication skills, in a purposeful context.
At Discovery Primary Academy, our Geography Curriculum is enhanced through local walks, which are planned to allow children to make connections between STEAM and Geography. In order to do this successfully, children will be provided with local maps which will enable them to navigate and apply their geographical skills when accessing the local area.
Geography is assessed through teacher judgement using ongoing formative assessment. At the end of each unit, children will partake in an assessment to inform the teacher of skills and knowledge learnt. These assessments are offered in a variety of ways, whether it be a written or practical task, to allow the children to embed what they have learnt.
Impact
Children will retain knowledge that is vital to Geography within a real-life context; they will have a very good understanding of the world around them and how it has been shaped by physical and human geography. Geography is monitored by the subject leader throughout all year groups using a variety of strategies such as book and planning looks, lesson observations, staff discussions and will involve pupil interviews. Feedback is given to teachers and leaders using the information to see if the children know more and remember more.
By the time pupils leave the academy at the end of Year 6, it is our intention that they will have a secure geographical understanding and a good grasp of three key concepts:
- Space, place and scale
- Human and physical processes
- Interdependence and patterns