Geography

Intent 

At Gusford, it is our intention that all pupils, irrelevant of starting points, gain a greater understanding of the physical world, their community and their place within it. Geography is an investigative subject and we believe in a ‘hands on’ approach. Through our teaching, we aim to give our learners strong geographical knowledge and vocabulary, good enquiry skills, the ability to use a range of maps, the skills to collect and analyse data and the opportunity to communicate their findings in a variety of ways. We want geography to be creative, fun and to spark children’s enthusiasm and interest, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.

Implementation 

To begin their Geography learning journey, children in EYFS will be given opportunities to be immersed in rich language and vocabulary to enable them to begin to make sense of the physical world and their personal experiences within the world and their community. In KS1, children begin to cement their essential foundational knowledge of their local area which they then build upon through topics surrounding the United Kingdom and the wider world; they will use maps throughout  the years to allow  them to gain concrete understanding of how people and places relate to each other. Children will begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe and ask and answer geographical questions. In KS2, map skills are developed further using digital maps, an increased number of keys and symbols as well as gaining more understanding about compass points, grid references and the lines and contours of the world. Gusford’s KS2 Geography Curriculum will ensure that children grow to be environmentally conscious citizens of the world by including a focus on the climate, preservation, conservation, natural resources and how this can impact on the world for example, in natural disasters.  In addition, the lessons are sequenced to help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge whilst the children continue to progress their knowledge by revisiting and consolidating skills. All children will expand on their skills in local knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork. It is important that children develop the skills of a geographer by fully immersing them in all areas of the subject. The local area is fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. School trips and fieldwork are provided to give first hand experiences, which enhance children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality.

Impact 

At the end of KS1 and KS2, the children’s learning is assessed against the age-related expectation bands that are based on the 2014 National Curriculum statements for Geography. At Gusford, we use summative assessment to determine children’s understanding and inform teachers’ planning. This is reviewed by the subject leader, who also carries out regular learning walks, book studies and lesson observations.

Cross Curricular Links

• Maths: using measuring equipment, statistics and co-ordinates
• Science: learning about the trade and use of materials (natural resources), water cycle and earth
• Art: map drawing
• PSHE: learning about other cultures
• RE: learning about other cultures, including religion 
• Computing: use of search engines
• History: learning about the past of other countries

Geography Gallery