Curriculum Intent

Geography at Welland Primary School

Whole school curriculum intent:  

To provide an inspiring broad and balanced curriculum to meet the needs of our pupils.  

Geography Intent:  

At Welland Primary school, we aim to deliver a high-quality Geography curriculum which inspires curiosity and fascination about the world and its people within children. We use a topic-based approach in order to totally immerse the pupils in their learning. 

The national curriculum for Geography aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes 

•  understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time 

That children are competent in the geographical skills needed to: 

• collect, analyse, and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes 

•  interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) 

•  communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length. 

Our curriculum equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places and people; resources in the environment; physical and human processes; formation of landscapes and current environmental issues. We also ensure that children develop geographical skills including: collecting and analysing data; using maps, globes, aerial photos, and digital mapping to name and identify countries, continents and oceans and communicating information using a variety of methods. We aim for pupils to understand the world as well as their place in it, as well as developing a range of transferrable skills which can be used to promote their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. We aim to install a love of learning in Geography and for pupils to develop their skills, not just through classroom learning but also with the use of fieldwork and geographical investigations in order to help them understand the messiness of geographical reality and how it is relevant in their everyday lives.  

Geography Implementation:  

Geography is taught in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through the area of learning through ‘Understanding the world.’ This means that pupils will learn through exploring the world around them, as well as learning about people in the world. They will learn about their own home, school environment and the surrounding area. This awareness is extended through providing pupils with first hand experiences, by visiting places and by finding out about different environments in books and through using a variety of technology.  

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum, along with Chris Quigley’s skills progression document provides a structure and skill development for the Geography being taught at Welland. This has been broken down into key threshold concepts which are:  

• Investigate places: This concept involves understanding the geographical location of places and their physical and human features. 

•  Investigate patterns: This concept involves understanding the relationships between the physical features of places and the human activity within them, and the appreciation of how the world’s natural resources are used and transported. 

• Communicate geographically: This concept involves understanding geographical representations, vocabulary, and techniques 

Our intention at Welland Primary is for geography to be taught in a variety of cross curricular ways to ensure the children can develop their geographical curiosity and become interested in the world around them. At Welland Primary School we teach geography in both discreet lessons and in cross curricular topic lessons. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills for each topic, and this is mapped across the school to ensure that knowledge is built progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Within lessons, teachers use the Welland approach where existing knowledge and skills are recapped before new learning takes place. Learners are challenged and supported appropriately.  

Geography Impact:  

As children progress throughout the school, they will develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within a wider geographical context. The geographical themes we teach will also help develop pupils understanding of both human and physical processes that shape planet Earth.  

In our classrooms:  

You will see: 

● Children engaged and excited by geography 

● Children using a range of diverse sources of information 

● Practical, hands-on geography experience through field trips 

● Children working collaboratively 

● Children communicating their geographical understanding in a variety of ways 

You will hear: 

● Children evaluating and developing their understanding of how geographical sources could be used 

● Children excited and passionate about learning about human and physical geography 

● Children discussing geographical patterns 

● Children confidently presenting their work using key vocabulary accurately 

You will feel: 

● A classroom climate where mistakes are valued and part of the deepening our understanding 

● Children building their understanding of how an understanding of geography can inform how we understand the world 

● That children are passionate to know more 

● That children are proud of their geography work 

Curriculum Recovery:  

The school recognises that there might be gaps in children’s knowledge and skills as a result of the period of school closures during the pandemic in Summer 2020 and Spring 2021. To address this, we have identified the potentially compromised content and linked it to subsequent topics.  

In addition to our remote learning provision and the adjustments that were made in summer 2021, we will ensure that this content is covered in our lesson sequences in 2021-22 and beyond and have the best chance of recovering potentially compromised curriculum content.