Geography

Intent, Implementation & Impact Statement - Geography

Intent 

At Kings Norton, through our Geography curriculum, we aim to create ambitious, inclusive and resilient learners who develop a curiosity for the world around them. We seek to create a life-long love of the subject, through teaching our children about diverse places, people and resources. Through the study of natural and human environments, as well as physical and human processes, our desire is to provide our children with a sense of awe and wonder about the world they live in. As they continue on their journey of Geography, we aim to foster a deep understanding of the subject that develops alongside their geographical skills. Our aim is that our children go on to apply these skills across all subjects, as well as in their futures beyond Kings Norton. Our curriculum is designed to provide our children with the subject specific language they need to describe, question and discuss the world, as well as their place in it. Our pupils are encouraged to recognise that they have a voice and to use it confidently to debate topics that they feel passionate about, for example: renewable energy. We aim to produce well- rounded individuals by providing our children with opportunities to expand their cultural capital and experiences of the world.

Implement 

Based upon the National Curriculum and the individual needs of our children, we have created a Geography progression map, which sets out the objectives taught in each year group. Geography is taught at Reception level through Understanding the World targets, directly from Statutory Framework for the Early Years.  In KS1 and KS2 we alternate our Geography and History topics ensuring that our children receive a well rounded teaching of the humanities subjects throughout the year. At times, we take the opportunity to create links between the two subjects to help solidify the learning taking place. Each individual lesson has content that is differentiated between, and within, year groups so that learning is age-appropriate and high expectations are maintained. Children use History & Geography books to record learning in a way that is memorable to them at the end of each unit or lesson. We use writing in Geography as an opportunity for children to showcase what they have learned and embed their knowledge. Teachers are encouraged to reference maps, atlases or globes when appropriate during all lessons to help to develop an awareness of the globe. Oracy and building vocabulary is an integral part of the Geography curriculum, we use Wigitonline as a visual way to introduce vocabulary to learners.Teachers also use questioning, and provide opportunities for discussion and investigation particularly during our field work sessions. Key geographical knowledge and language (such as, the name and location of continents, countries, capital cities and oceans) is revisited frequently, to make learning memorable, relevant and easy to retrieve. Where possible we try to support learning with trips and field work to inspire our children and widen their cultural experiences. Teachers are also encouraged to use a range of resources such as videos, photographs and newspaper articles during lessons to help create immersive learning experiences. 

Impact 

The impact of our Geography curriculum is measured in a variety of ways: end of unit quizzing, questioning during lesson time, marking children’s written work, listening to child-led discussion, interviewing pupils across the school about their learning, book looks and using images/videos of children’s practical learning. By the end of the Geography curriculum at Kings Norton, our children will:  Have a growing knowledge of the world and their place in it.  Have a wider vocabulary of geographical terms.  Aspire to discover more about the world, through reading, travel or the media.  Know that they can use their voice to express themselves and their opinions.  Develop their geographical skills, such as, evaluation, creativity, problem solving and enquiry.