Geography is concerned with the study of people and places and the interaction between them. It has an important role to play in the curriculum as its central ideas can help children gain an understanding of the complex and diverse nature of the world in which they live.
Children study aspects of physical, human and environmental Geography so that they develop a sense of place through studying the local environment and the wider world; they develop a concern for the quality of the environment and thereby enhance their sense of responsibility for the earth and its peoples. Geography is taught through a range of engaging cross-curricular topics.
Geography at Tattershall Primary School aims to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Pupils are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, its interconnectedness, and their place in it. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and
record necessary data in various ways and analyse and present their findings. Through our curriculum, we aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time. The Geography curriculum at Tattershall Primary School enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can be used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them and we seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives, equipping them well for further education and beyond.
Our curriculum ensures:
• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.
• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.
• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.
• A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary.
Our Geography curriculum enables pupils to meet the end of Key Stage Attainment Targets in the National Curriculum. The aims also align with those in the National Curriculum.
At Tattershall Primary School we have used the curriculum design model from ‘Kapow Primary’.
The Geography National Curriculum organises the Geography Attainment Targets under four subheadings or strands:
• Locational knowledge
• Place knowledge
• Human and physical geography
• Geographical skills and fieldwork
Our Geography curriculum has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these four strands across each year group. Geographical key concepts are woven across all units rather than being taught discretely. Our curriculum is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Locational knowledge, in particular, is reviewed in each unit to coincide with our belief that this will consolidate children’s understanding of key concepts, such as scale and place, in Geography.
Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their Geography skills to other areas of learning. Our enquiry questions form the basis for our Key Stage 1 and 2 units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions. These questions have been designed to be open-ended with no preconceived answers and therefore they are genuinely purposeful and engage pupils in generating a real change. In attempting to answer them, children learn how to collect, interpret and represent data using geographical methodologies and make informed decisions by
applying their geographical knowledge.
Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible. Units of work follow an enquiry cycle that maps out the fieldwork process of question, observe, measure, record, and present, to reflect the elements mentioned in the National Curriculum. This ensures children will learn how to decide on an area of enquiry, plan to measure data using a range of methods, capture the data and present it to a range of appropriate stakeholders in various formats.
Fieldwork includes smaller opportunities on the school grounds to larger-scale visits to investigate physical and human features. Developing fieldwork skills within the school environment and revisiting them in multiple units enables pupils to consolidate their understanding of various
methods. It also gives children the confidence to evaluate methodologies without always having to leave the school grounds and do so within the confines of a familiar place. This makes fieldwork regular and accessible while giving children a thorough understanding of their locality, providing a solid foundation when comparing it with other places.
Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical hands-on, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Teachers ensure they adapt their teaching to ensure that all pupils can access learning, and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are also available if required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key
facts and vocabulary.
At Tattershall Primary School Geography is taught discreetly from Year 1 to Year 6, mostly through a weekly lesson. Due to our PAN of 20, we have single year group classes for Years R, 1, 2 and 6 and two mixed age classes; Year 3/4 and Year 4/5. In order to meet the needs of our school, we have designed a three-year cycle for the mixed age classes. This has been carefully planned and adapted to ensure that all pupils have access to a progressive curriculum.
For full information about our Geography Curriculum (including curriculum design, Knowledge Organisers and assessment procedures) please look at our Curriculum Handbook (Non-Core) here.