Intent for Geography

The National Curriculum in England 2014 states that: 'A high quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.'

At Oakfield Primary School, one of our key curriculum drivers is for pupils ‘to gain greater knowledge of the wider world’. We want pupils to explore and develop their life experiences outside of where they live, to learn about other cultures so that they gain a greater understanding to prepare them for life in modern Britain.  Our geography curriculum encourages research and fieldwork, allowing our pupils to become inquisitive skilled investigators and learners. We want to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Our intent is that our teaching of Geography will help pupils become more aware of the area they live in. Through having a global balance in terms of locations studies, pupils will gain knowledge and understanding of diverse places, people, resources in natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human resources, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.  Through their learning, we want pupils to understand the importance of respect for their environment. We believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human world around them.

Implementation

Geography and History are taught as blocked units of work in Key Stage 1 and 2 with a focus on one subject each half-term.  We have Curriculum Maps for years one to six which ensures that all aspects of the National Curriculum 2014, Key Stages 1 and 2, are covered. 

Our ‘Progression of knowledge and skills in Geography’ document outlines what pupils will be taught in each year group. Our Geography Learning Ladder focusses on the key skills that pupils will be taught:

• locational knowledge
• place knowledge
• human and physical geography
• geographical skills and fieldwork

Within lessons pupils are encouraged to ask questions and answer them through exploration and research. Teachers model relevant key vocabulary and encourage pupils to use it.

Opportunities are taken to develop independent research and study skills through the use of books, computing and technologies.  Appropriate resources will be available to ensure that pupils have access to secondary resources through our School Library.

We aim to exploit opportunities for cross-curricular work so that learning is placed within a firm context and opportunities are created to embed reading, writing and communication and, where appropriate, mathematics across the curriculum. 

Through our ‘Mighty Oaks’ project we promote outdoor learning opportunities. A wide range of activities are planned within our school grounds and local area linked to topic themes. Within school, we have developed our school pond and the area around it. There is a path linking our school to the neighbouring Nature Reserve which provides opportunities for our pupils to undertake environmental studies and investigative work.

Experiences are enriched as pupils take part in local studies, involving investigations and fieldwork, beginning with the school grounds and the local area as they begin to understand and appreciate the world around them.

Additionally, we have worked hard to encourage an understanding of sustainability through our assembly programme, Earth Day activities and Eco-Warriors Club, alongside teaching the key messages through our curriculum.

Useful websites:

• BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects
• Weather forecasts: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather
• Find out about what’s happening in the world: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround
• Environmental themes – the children’s section has many useful facts, activities and animations including sections on: air, energy, land, climate change, people and lifestyles, resources and waste, water and wildlife: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency
• An introduction to maps into how maps work and how to interpret them for Key Stage 2: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/
• Find out about where you live: https://www.google.co.uk/maps
• Essex Wildlife Trust: https://www.essexwt.org.uk/

Local places of interest:

• Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre
• Hanningfield Reservoir
• Langdon Nature Discovery Park
• Thorndon Nature Discovery Centre
• Bradwell Shell Bank Nature Reserve
• Two Tree Island Nature Reserve
• Wat Tyler Country Park
• Greenwich – National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory
• Geocaching around Essex