Geography
At Wadhurst Primary School & Nursery, our intent in teaching Geography is to instil in our pupils a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world around them. Our world, its people, places and environments – are diverse and ever changing. We want our pupils to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to become responsible global citizens who understand the complexities of the world in which we live. By learning about the varied interactions between human and physical geography, children can work together towards their future ideal. Through careful planning and questioning, we enable our children to develop connections, be critical thinkers and hold meaningful discussions. At Wadhurst, we are lucky to be positioned in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we aim to use this to our advantage allowing the children to experience this first hand by conducting fieldwork and communicate their findings in varied ways.
We know the importance of vocabulary and aim for all children to gain a thorough and useful collection of geographical terminology, having confidence to apply them in discussions, giving opinions, responses and predictions.
At Wadhurst, we will guide our pupils to take care of their world, be active citizens and contribute positively to the world around them.
Why do we use the scheme we use?
At Wadhurst, we believe that a high-quality geography education is essential for our pupils to become global citizens; therefore, we have implemented various strategies to ensure that our pupils have a well-rounded and enriching experience in this subject. We have developed a geography curriculum that builds pupils' knowledge and skills over time, starting from the foundation stage to key stage two. The topics covered range from local geography, physical features to world geography and the human and physical aspects of it. At every level we ensure subjects are well integrated. We use a range of resources, including fieldwork and outside visits to enhance the learning experience, and we use technology to bring the wider world directly into our classrooms.
Our teachers plan and deliver carefully sequenced lessons that engage pupils in enquiry-based learning and develop their geographical skills. Additionally, we have invested in a high-quality scheme, Primary Knowledge Curriculum (PKC) to support teachers in delivering engaging, relevant and up-to-date teaching materials across the curriculum. Furthermore, we believe that it is crucial to encourage pupils' critical thinking skills through enquiry-led learning, encouraging respectful discussion. This helps invigorate community spirit while preparing learners for future discussions, debates and challenges
Organising Geography concepts
Conceptual understanding is at the heart of our curriculum. Children will learn about key geographical concepts such as place, space, the environment and interconnection. Over time, working through an essential process of elaboration, children will add to their conceptual understanding with many examples of geographical knowledge in context. Children will become more skilled at answering questions such as; what is it like to live in this place? What are the challenges of this environment? How have people changed this landscape over time? Children will gain an understanding of what geographers do, what they look for and what they may say about a place.
Our Principles For Great Teaching In Geography
Then children leave Wadhurst they will able to:
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Show knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
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Show an understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
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Show an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
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Be fluent in complex geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
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Reach clear conclusions and develop reasoned arguments to explain findings.
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Show their honed geographical skills and techniques.
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Show a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
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Express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment
We will be able to evidence that children have achieved this through.......
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Recorded learning
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Discussion tasks
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Carefully designed lessons that provide opportunities for adults to continually assess for understanding both in Georgraphy and across the curriculum
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Questioning and feedback to support small steps in learning
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Beginning and end of unit assessment tasks e.g. Quizzes, hexagon tasks, enquiry questions
Beyond Wadhurst
At Wadhurst, children move on to KS3 as inspired geographers who have care and respect for the world in which they live. Children have an understanding of the connection between Human and Physical Geography and are able to think critically about the actions humans have. As part of Wadhurst Primary schools’ thorough assessment, teachers make informed decisions based on discussion, lesson quizzes (based on knowledge goals) and ‘connection Hexagons’, informing their practice.
