Geography

N.B. For further information on documents referenced, click on key documents listed at the foot of the page.

Intent

What does geography look like at All Saints Academy?

The geography curriculum at All Saints Academy aims to open the doorway to the wider world and intrinsically motivate children to look beyond their own immediate locality. It develops their geographical skills and knowledge of the world, their enthusiasm and desire to travel and explore, and aspirations for their future outcomes. It is their gateway to dreaming big and opportunities that would initially be considered ‘out of this world’. It provides opportunities for discovery and challenge and for pupils to develop their oracy skills. Learning reflects and reinforces the notion of being world wise – understanding how the modern world has developed over time is a fundamental component to this. Within this, pupils will understand that not every place is the same and that diversity, just like in their own locality, differs all around the world.

The intent of our geography curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all, delivered with effective task selection to ensure all pupils are challenged, make progress and access subjects on an aspirational level. By design, our geography sequence of learning document allows our pupils to know more, remember more and dive deeper via logically sequenced learning points that run across their year group focus. This is intently sequenced and mapped so pupils can develop their geographical knowledge and skills from EYFS to Y6 (alongside appropriate History links). Outcomes intently build on prior learning and embed key geographical concepts over time to ensure pupils understand more and are fully prepared for KS3 expectations.

Our geography curriculum intentions are:

A geography curriculum which develops learning and results in the acquisition of substantive knowledge (knowledge of the world). and disciplinary knowledge (geographical and fieldwork skills)
Where possible and relevant, links will be made between geography and wider key concepts to prepare our students for KS3 and deepen learning.
A geography sequence of learning document which provides appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the EYFS and National Curriculum History Programmes of study.
To fulfil the duties of the National Curriculum whereby schools must provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities and responsibilities and experiences for later life.

Our curriculum has been built to include our key curriculum drivers and incorporate key historical concepts:

Our pupils are encouraged to utilise our school drivers (where applicable) when studying geography, with a specific focus on oracy alongside the need to be world wise. We understand that pupils learn in varied ways, where appropriate, pupils will learn geography outside the classroom, with locality studies and general geographical fieldwork.

Through our key geography concepts across EYFS and all year groups, pupils build and apply knowledge around the following ideas:

Place & Location

Physical & Human Features

Scale

Culture and Diversity

Interdependence

Environmental Impact

In our curriculum we have also considered the journey of a child through the school, so our curriculum is progressive, builds on prior learning, and regularly revisits taught concepts. By design, sequencing within units and across year groups is intently mapped so children can remember more and apply more. EYFS, KS1 and KS2 classes follow our Geography sequence of learning document which has been designed specifically to match the needs of our school ensuring all children meet the full programme of study outlined in the National Curriculum in a progressive way.

Implementation

How is the curriculum for geography organised?

Geography sequence of learning document

A carefully sequenced plan ensuring pupils are fully prepared for KS3. The curriculum is organised intently with explicit knowledge and vocabulary. The sequence document also details the substantive and disciplinary knowledge to be taught for each topic, with key geography concepts linked where applicable. Through design and how it is applied, the sequence and delivery enables pupils to remember more.

Year group mapping document

Whole school mapping is intently designed so links are made across the geography areas of focus (alongside intently mapped History) to aid pupils to think deeper and make connections across the curriculum.

Key Geography Concepts & Key Concepts Map

Our Key Concept Map supports the knowledge and application of these concepts and aids their unit introductory lesson which places the concepts at the forefront of learning. Overtime, concepts are revisited as children progress through school.

Vocabulary

Within our sequence of learning document tier 3 subject specific geography vocabulary and tier 2 vocabulary (where relevant) relating to all units is noted. This will be highlighted to the children at the beginning of lessons and revisited through subsequent learning and low stakes quizzes to drip feed vocabulary over time. Vocabulary is used and displayed gradually and with purpose.

Working Walls

Every class working wall supports learning and displays relevant and purposeful material. Key Concepts are displayed for each focus alongside questions generated by children. Vocabulary from the sequence of learning document is displayed in relation to the relevant learning point/focus.

Approaches to teaching

A wide variety of teaching approaches are used in geography lessons to ensure children make good progress, and all learning styles are catered for. Class teachers ensure there is a good balance of whole class, group work and individual learning. We also aim to incorporate links to oracy with presentations by teachers, visitors, and children; drama and role play; discussions and debates and themed days to inspire all learners and encourage application of skills alongside talk.

EYFS

Our curriculum is organised so children in reception meet the aims of EYFS framework. The early learning goals are taken from Understanding our world and are as follows:

Recognise some environments that are different from the one in which they live.
Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.
Recognise some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries.
Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.
Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and when appropriate, maps.
Using and Interpreting Maps
Position and Orientation
Drawing
Symbols
Perspective and Scale
Digital Maps

How do we support our SEND learners?

We believe that all learners should access first quality teaching and be immersed in class discussions during geography. Therefore, SEND learners access the same learning as all other children but will be given further support, adapted outcomes and a tailored approach to suit each individual’s needs. Strategies used to support our SEND learners include:

A pre-teach of topic specific vocabulary as an additionality task
A reader to support when researching/using a range of sources
Simplified materials which remove barriers e.g. smaller maps, less numbers
Print outs of work/presentations to scaffold with independent tasks
Task/outcome adaptations
Teachers reflecting on task selection principles

Impact

How do we review and assess learning in history?

All our staff, senior leaders and governors are involved in measuring the impact of our geography curriculum in differing ways. This is planned through the School Development Plan alongside leader monitoring through pupil voice and book looks.

Mr. Butterwood is our history and geography Subject Leader. There is a clear monitoring cycle in place which evaluates teaching and learning, outcomes, and pupil voice. These outcomes feed into action planning to continually evaluate and improve our teaching and learning in this area.

Monitoring and evaluation could include:

A review of learning in books and or floor books
Lesson observations
Pupil Voice – how well is knowledge retained over time?  
Evaluation of the impact of staff professional development
A review of medium-term planning 
Talking to pupils and parents about learning

Formative Assessment, Knowledge Recall and Retention

We formatively assess children by making informal judgements as we observe them during lessons. At times, mind mapping is used at the beginning of a lesson to recap prior learning or the use of low stakes ‘quick quizzes’ for assessment of facts or skills within their learning point journey.

Other models of knowledge recall and retention may include:

Verbal Quizzes
Labelling
Vocabulary based retrieval
Paired quizzing
Concept Maps
Cops and Robbers
Diagram/picture prompts
Go for Gold (utilising key terms tiered by level)
Elaborate, extend and justify
Flash cards, matching pairs, fact bingo

Children who are not remembering crucial knowledge are identified. Targeted analysis is then carried out and targeted verbal questioning alongside further formative assessment opportunities allows the teacher to reassess learning while reinforcing knowledge to the whole class.

Key Document links:

National Curriculum Geography KS1 and KS2

ASA Geography Sequence of Learning 2023

Geography Curriculum Overview 2023

Whole School Curriculum Mapping 23.24

Key Concept Map. Geography. Sample 23

Geography ion Twitter : https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASAGeography