The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places- both terrestrial and marine- including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
- understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes.
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
The Geography curriculum develops the priorities for pupils at Wolsingham Primary School in the following ways:
Basic skills – The Geography curriculum encourages children to develop their reading skills through the use of a range of Geographical sources, allowing them to learn about the world around them through independent reading. Writing skills are developed in written explanations and in communicating geographical information about places, processes and people. Mathematical skills are developed through collecting and analysing data from fieldwork experiences and through working with various types of map, understanding symbols and learning how to navigate.
Resilience and Perseverance – Children are encouraged to build up their understanding of geography and take an interest in the wider world. Educational visits and fieldwork opportunities provide children with the experience of asking questions, solving problems and finding answers whilst visiting new and familiar places.
Social Awareness – One of our curriculum priorities is for our children to “be curious about the world in which they live” and Geography is a crucial part of achieving this. Our geography curriculum is designed to expose children to the world in carefully planned units which revisit and build upon prior learning. Children will develop their knowledge and understanding of places, processes and people and how these impact humans and the physical world. Following this they can gain empathy and understanding of geographical differences in the world and global issues such as climate change.
Knowledge – Children are expected to develop their understanding and knowledge through the use of carefully scaffolded questions and sources of information which, by Upper Key Stage 2, allows children to then be able to develop their own lines of enquiry and suggest solutions to a problem. Our units of work allow children to learn about local regional, national and international geography as well as allowing time for each area to be revisited in each Key Stage so prior learning can be revised and built upon.
