Geography
Subject Leader - Mrs Seaton
Here at Banks Road, we want to nurture our children's natural curiosity about the world around them from the very earliest opportunity. We teach Geography from the Early Years Foundation Stage right through to Year 6. We aim to foster our children's love and respect for the world around them to become environmentally-aware, respectful citizens of the future. Our Geography curriculum, and its associated teaching approaches, is designed to secure the highest possible quality of education for pupils.
Intent
At Banks Road, the uniqueness and background of every child is recognised and valued. Because of this, our curriculum covers a range of cultural, historical and ethical backgrounds and offers purposeful and meaningful experiences to apply, share and develop this knowledge. Our diverse, culturally rich and wide-scoping, curriculum is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values in a rigorous and coherent way. Explicit links to story-telling and vocabulary are made to enthuse learners and equip them with the necessary literacy skills to thrive in their study of the subject. Activities are used throughout the curriculum to engage learners and create purposeful, high-leverage outcomes that give children the opportunity to use and apply their developing geographical knowledge and skills. At Banks Road, our aim is to create an environment that prompts curiosity, critical thinking and allows learners to connect strands of learning across all aspects of the curriculum.
Implementation
Throughout all key stages of Banks Road, our teaching approach includes practical techniques which ensures high-leverage teaching. These techniques include systematic introduction and revisiting of new vocabulary, effective questioning, lessons which are pacey, interactive and fun. It has a coherent, chronological and rigorous structure that ensures that links are not only made across individual subjects but also across each of the topics covered. This means that knowledge is gradually and successfully built upon and children make explicit links using their previous knowledge. This is consistently revisited and retrieved, which ensures all children build their schema of knowledge.
The Opening Worlds curriculum ensures pupils practise geographical thinking regarding location, place and human and physical processes. Geographical information and skills are interpreted and presented in a variety of ways, including maps, (physical and digital), diagrams, globes, and aerial photographs, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length. Local field trips also provide children with first-hand experiences and opportunities to practise learnt skills out in the real world. Extra-curricular clubs such as Eco-Club and Rambling Club also provide children with extra opportunities to foster their love of the world and Geography.
Impact
The impact and measure of our geography curriculum is that children and staff alike at Banks Road demonstrate a love and interest in the world they live in. The curriculum shows a clear progression of skills across Key Stage 1 and 2 that builds on prior knowledge that can be demonstrated in books and displays around the school. Our children will be confident geographers and be able to clearly discuss their learning from past and current topics, being able to make links and apply this to their future learning. Children are also able to record what they have learnt to showcase their learning throughout the topic, showing their progress. This progress is rigorously measured through three types of assessment: informal formative assessment, end-of-unit synoptic tasks and end-of-term multiple choice tests.
We ensure our children are equipped with geographical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.