“The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together.”
Barack Obama
Geography at Washingborough Academy
Intent
Geography at Washingborough Academy seeks to inspire our children with curiosity, aid their fascination and support their appreciation of the world that we live in along with its inhabitants. Through their lessons, which involve exploration, investigation and research, they will be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need in order to become active global citizens in and outside of the classroom and beyond their primary years.
The curriculum has been designed to ensure that as the children progress through the school, their knowledge of the world both physical and human is deepened and built upon. The links between physical and human processes, along with the formation and use of landscapes and environments are investigated and equip the children with essential geography skills to develop their knowledge and understanding further.
Through quality first teaching and the provision of hands on field work experiences, children are encouraged to actively ask questions, seek answers and present their findings to further their knowledge of the world and their place in it.
Implementation
At Washingborough Academy our Geography curriculum has been based upon the National Curriculum and the needs of our own individual children. The curriculum is taught over a two-year cycle for each key stage phase and the overarching learning objectives are set out in the Geography progression map which is then built upon in each key stage medium term plan for each term. Through the medium-term plan’s links are made throughout the whole school curriculum to ensure children solidify their learning. Individual lessons are consistent across the whole school using a structured format which includes opportunities to learn and implement taught Geographical vocabulary.
The curriculum focuses on five key areas:
- ‘Investigating location and places’ improves children’s knowledge of key geographical aspects including locating continents, countries, cities, global position and compass directions. It also develops an understanding of similarities and differences between a wide range of places.
- ‘Understanding human and physical processes’ develops children’s knowledge of these fundamental processes and where ever possible links are made between the two. Some key processes that are explored are: the water cycle, climate change and settlements.
- ‘Interpreting a range of geographical information’ develops children’s techniques and skills in being able to read a range of geographical resources including maps, atlases and compasses.
- ‘Experiencing fieldwork’ develops children’s understanding of their locality and the wider world through practical experiences which include: making observations, measuring and recording data and using maps.
- ‘Communicating geographically’ underpins all of our lessons. Children are required to describe key aspects of physical and human geography using a range of geographical vocabulary.
Impact
The impact of our Geography curriculum is measured in a variety of ways:
- Discussions with children in lessons
- Targeted questions during lessons
- Marking of children’s work
- Pupil’s voice
- Learning walks
- Book looks
- Termly assessment
By the time children leave Washingborough Academy they will:
- Be equipped with the skills and knowledge to be inquisitive Geographers
- Possess a wide variety of Geographical vocabulary
- Have acquired knowledge of the world and also their own local environment
- Be inspired to find out more about the world
- Have the confidence to use their voice to make a change
“Geography is a subject which holds the key to our future.’’
Michael Palin.