Geography

Intent

At Heytesbury, we believe that high quality Geography education provides the foundations for understanding the world around us. Through our Geography curriculum, we aim to engage children and young people in investigating questions about people and events in the past, which helps them to better understand their own lives today and prepares them for the future as more informed citizens.

We strive to have children who have a passion for life-long learning and a curiosity to question the world around them. We want our children to challenge their thinking and know that possibilities are endless.

Geography learning and teaching at Heytesbury C of E Primary School follows an enquiry-based approach, teaching essential subject knowledge whilst emphasising the importance of allowing enough time and opportunity for pupils to master key subject skills and challenging outcomes through investigating focused content in greater depth. 

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Planning for geography is a process in which all teachers are involved to ensure that the school gives full coverage of, ‘The National Curriculum programme of study for Geography 2014’ and, ‘Understanding of the World: ‘People and communities’ and ‘The World’ in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Our Geography curriculum places emphasis on the progression of critical thinking skills and oracy with pupils increasing their ability to confidently and appropriately use subject vocabulary, geographical terms and language balanced with developing increasing knowledge and mastery of understanding of subject content and concepts. We aim to offer every child the opportunity to experience geography first-hand through a range of visitors, trips and local experiences. Therefore, the curriculum is tailored and individually planned so that it can be effectively taught using the infrastructure we have in place and so it can meet the needs of all our pupils. We aim to stretch and challenge the most able and develop the independence and confidence for the less able learners to all meet their full potential and beyond.

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure children not only acquire the appropriate age-related knowledge linked to the geography curriculum, but also skills which equip them to progress from their starting points, and within their everyday lives.

All children will have:

• A wider variety of skills linked to geographical knowledge and understanding,
• A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.
• A curiosity for the world around them which will enable them to be inquisitive and question new concepts which come their way.