Subject Leader – Miss Defty
At Easington C of E Primary School, we aim for all of our wonderful children to develop the roots to grow and the wings to fly. Through Geography, children will have the wings to fly by developing the confidence and independence to foster a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Children will be taught to embrace and be proud of their local heritage and the community in which they live to explore geographical concepts, knowledge and skills for themselves.
At Easington C of E Primary, we want to foster a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Whilst meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum, our Geography Curriculum is also designed to be relevant and meaningful to our children and provide them with experiences to contextualise their learning. It is bespoke to their locality and provides the children with opportunities to explore geographical concepts, knowledge and skills for themselves.
Our Geography curriculum equips pupils with knowledge about places and people; the environment and physical and human processes. We also want children to develop geographical skills such as: collecting and analysing data and using maps, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping to name and identify countries, continents and oceans. We want children to enjoy and develop a love of learning about geography by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.
IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTENT
Teaching and Learning Time:
Geography is taught explicitly through ‘Our Curriculum’ lessons once every term. These lessons are taught by Class Teachers at their discretion. At Easington CofE Primary School, our Geography Curriculum is based on a two-year cycle. This ensures accurate curriculum coverage and provides children with clear opportunities to build upon prior knowledge. Our curriculum has been carefully developed in order show progression each year.
A vital element of our Geography Curriculum is to ensure our children gain a deep knowledge of specific geographical skills which they can apply as they progress in their journey through Geography. We are passionate about children building on prior knowledge so that their understanding is thorough and coherent.
Due to the class structure in school, our Geography Curriculum is based on a Two-year cycle and is taught as part of a half-termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. This ensures accurate curriculum coverage and provides children with clear opportunities to build upon prior knowledge.
Our curriculum has been carefully developed in order show progression each year, for example:
Year 1/2
Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
• key physical features
• key human features
Year 2/3
Describe and understand key aspects of:
• physical geography, including: rivers, earthquakes, and the water cycle
• human geography, including: the distribution of natural resources including water
Year 4/5
Describe and understand key aspects of:
• physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes
Year 5/6
Describe and understand key aspects of:
• physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts
• human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water
There are clear links and opportunities to build upon prior learning and knowledge throughout our Geographical Curriculum, for example:
| Year 1/2 | Year 2/3 | |
| Year A | Spring 1
Why can’t meerkats live in the North Pole? |
|
| Year B | Autumn 1
Why are the icebergs melting? |
These links are also based upon revisiting topics previously taught in History or complimenting topics to be taught in History in the future e.g.
| Year 1/2 | Year B |
| Summer 1 | What is Down Under? |
| Summer 2 | Why should the North be proud of James Cook? |
Our Geography Curriculum will challenge our children to think critically, analyse and interpret evidence, provide viewpoints and overall judgements based on their geographical knowledge. The vehicle for achieving this comes in the form of a Debate Question/Discussion at the end of each Geography Topic. The debate will also provide a platform for children to apply and consolidate their knowledge and understanding, whilst using specific vocabulary relevant to the time period.
Examples of Debate Questions:
| Year A | Year B | |
| Year 1/2 | Is Global Warming a good thing for some animals? | Humans are the main reason for climate change – discuss |
| Year 4/5 | Is it worth living near a volcano? | Easington will always be known as a ‘Pit Village’ – discuss. |
Through following our bespoke, personalised Geography Curriculum, by the end of Key Stage 2, our children will have developed a deep knowledge and understanding of Geography in their long-term memory. This will provide them with the foundation needed for a successful transition into the next stage of education.
Curriculum Impact
Ongoing assessments take place throughout the year. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons; ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately. This data is analysed on a termly basis to inform and address any trends or gaps in attainment.
Geography is assessed on a half-termly basis or when the subject is taught through an ‘Our Curriculum’ Topic. Children are assessed against the knowledge and skills taught in each topic and are judged Below Standard, At Standard or Higher Standard. Teachers use these judgements to arrive at an overall assessment judgement at the end of the year.
