Geography

Geography Intent

At Mottram CofE Primary School, Geography is a valued part of the curriculum, providing a purposeful means for exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live, how people affect it and how it has evolved.

At Mottram, we intend to:

Encourage children to think about their own place in the world so they can develop their sense of belonging.
Understand their role and responsibilities to care and change our communities and the wider world for the better
Observe physical and human Geography in action through our perfectly elevated, semi-rural geographical position, whilst comparing and contrasting it to other environments in Europe and the world.
Use the school’s outdoor environment to acquire skills in carrying out observations and in collecting, organising, recording and retrieving information as part of an enquiry.

Geography Implementation

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The teachers use Development Matters to plan, leading to the achievement of The Early Learning Goals (ELGs) set out in EYFS Statutory Framework.

ELG Understanding the World

Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction and maps.
Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries.
Explore the natural world around them, making observation and drawing pictures of animals and plants.
Know similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.

This is not taught as a specific subject, but makes up part of the continuous provision and cross-curricular activities provided by the teachers.

In KS1 and KS2, Geography is taught through Topic lessons during the year.

These topics are varied and engaging and ensure a depth of learning as well as the progression of key knowledge, skills and curriculum content. The curriculum has been carefully crafted to ensure full coverage of all key areas, whilst developing a progression of skills. We follow our progression document to ensure knowledge and skills are taught within each year group and it is clear and evident how these skills develop year on year.

Our lessons aim to be as practical as possible to ensure children are engaged in their learning and knowledge is being retained. Where possible, the local area is used for fieldwork to allow children to collect and analyse their own data. Opportunities for writing are also incorporated into Geography lessons. There are also opportunities for cross-curricular links and, where possible, non-fiction and fictional texts are linked to topics to ensure further depth of understanding.

Consideration is given to ensure all lessons are inclusive for different abilities whilst also aiming to provide opportunities to challenge all pupils where appropriate. From Years 1 -6, at the end of each topic, children have the chance to showcase all they have learnt through the create and celebrate stage, to encourage ownership over their learning. School trips and fieldwork also provide opportunities to further extend and embed their learning.

Geography Impact

As our children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation for their local area, country and the world. They recognise the importance of looking after the world we live in and how we can make small but effective changes to positively impact our ever-changing planet. Pupils are able to develop their own place in the world whilst also growing their own love for Geography.

Progress in Geography is monitored within individual lessons and across a range of Topics throughout the year. Pupils are assessed against the progression document and the National Curriculum. Pupil voice is gathered to assess the level of enjoyment in the subject, each pupil’s understanding of the knowledge and skills they have been developing and to understand how pupils believe Geography impacts their own lives.

Assessments are gathered through questioning, paired and group work, quizzes and work in Topic books. Teachers carry out regular observations of how pupils perform in lessons to ensure they have gained the skills and knowledge taught, using verbal feedback, in the moment, to address misconceptions. Teachers are able to use these assessment methods to provide additional support or challenge pupils where needed.

Pupil Voice

‘We have learned where we live, Mottram!’ (Year 1)

‘We got to draw our own maps to show everyone where our theme park is.It was fun!’ (Year 2)

‘Geography is when we learn about the world and the people in it.’ (Year 3)

‘Geography is important in our lives because it helps us read maps and plan routes.’ (Year 3)

‘We enjoyed planting trees to help the environment as we need oxygen. It was my favourite lesson.’ (Year 4)

‘This year we have located the Equator and Northern and Sothern Hemisphere. We live in the Northern Hemisphere.’ (Year 5)

‘We have been researching problems that are affecting our Earth and how we can help for example, deforestation and pollution.’ (Year 6)

Pupil Voice

Policy

Progression

Useful Websites