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email: admin@sheriffhutton.n-yorks.sch.uk
We shape our geography curriculum to ensure it is fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Geography; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum; ensuring the progressive development of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills; and for the children to develop a love for geography.
Geography is essentially about understanding the world we live in. It helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. At Sheriff Hutton Primary children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. The geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferrable to other curriculum areas. Geography is an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. Our intent, when teaching geography, is to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and people within it; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. At Sheriff Hutton Primary we believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. Our geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and can be used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills.
Geography at Sheriff Hutton Primary is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds throughout the two year rolling programme and that children develop skills systematically. Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic and retrieval opportunities are built into start of each lesson to support the children in remembering more of what they have learnt. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s’ starting points. Lessons are designed to provide appropriate support and challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. At the end of each topic, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and rigorously checked by the teacher and consolidated as necessary.
Cross curricular outcomes in geography are specifically identified and planned for. The Geography provision is also well resourced and specific resources are mapped to specific groups and topics to support effective teaching and learning. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. The local area is fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practise. School trips and are provided to give first-hand experiences, which enhance children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality.
Throughout their time in EYFS, we want our children to become inquisitive about the natural and man-made things they see around themselves and begin to observe and take notice of their immediate environment. Children will do this through numerous local visits, and these will provide opportunities for the children to gain an appreciation of their local area. From a young age, children need to know that not all people and places are the same and to begin to understand about similarities and differences, and for children in EYFS this will be achieved through high-quality texts. These will allow children to talk about their first-hand experiences in relation to what they see in books. Together, these experiences will form the foundations that all Geographers need- some knowledge of the wonders of nature and an appreciation of what is on their doorstep.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, units are planned as discrete lessons, although they may complement other subject areas in order to give learning context, these ‘hooks’ ensure the learning is meaningful for the children.
The areas of the National Curriculum have been carefully chosen for each year and term so that children can enter Year A or Year B as either a Year 1 or 2 pupil and be able to access the topics
planned. They will allow children to build on knowledge and skills gained in EYFS, however, the knowledge being taught in Year A does not build on Year B, and the knowledge being taught in
Year B does not build on Year A.
Each year the children will have the opportunity to practice geographical skills and knowledge both locally and globally.
Year A
Children will extend their knowledge of the human and physical features in the world as they learn about places outside of the UK. Children will also build on knowledge gained in KS1 and locate the world’s countries.
Year B
This year, children will be extending their knowledge of the UK from knowing about the countries to learning about the counties, regions and cities. They will extend their knowledge of human and physical geography as they learn about places further afield with different features.
Upper Key Stage 2
Year A
In this year, the children continue to build upon their knowledge and understanding of the world, moving from a European focus, to a more global understanding, including issues such as globalisation and migration.
Year B
This year is more rooted in local geographical understanding, with opportunities to practice map skills and knowledge.
Every year in Year 6 the children take part if a residential visit. This supports their geographical learning through fieldwork and first hand experiences.
The impact of our geography curriculum is that our learners are equipped with the geographical skills and knowledge to help them explore, navigate and understand the world around them and their place in it. Their skills and knowledge will develop progressively as they move through the school to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and will enable them to be fully equipped for the secondary. The children will be able to discuss their learning and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through a range of activities. The children’s learning is assessed against the age-related expectations from the 2014 National Curriculum.
Children will develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They will understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills. Many of these aspects are demonstrated during their residential visit to Bewerley Park in Year 6.