Geography

We are geographers

Intent

At Walmley Infant School, we believe that our children should develop a love of learning and show care and respect for each other within the context of a happy, secure and challenging environment.

We want all children to experience a high-quality geography education that inspires a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The teaching of geography within our school should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress through our school, their growing knowledge of the world should help them deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.

Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. During Geography, children will study their local area and contrasting places in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. The study of the local area forms an important part of geography taught at our school and activities are planned to build upon the children’s knowledge and understanding of the local area.

Geography in our school is about developing an understanding of our world, through experience, investigation and learning from secondary sources. Geography helps children to gain a greater understanding of the ways of life and cultures of people in other places. This will enable children to take responsibility for their role in society and to develop a caring attitude towards others, animals and plants in our environment.

Implementation

The teaching of Geography at Walmley Infant School aims to:

  • inspire in learners a fascination about the world and its people that remains with them for the rest of their lives
  • equip learners with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes
  • develop a growing knowledge about the world to deepen their understanding of the interaction between the human and physical processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments
  • acquire geographical knowledge, understanding and skills
  • enable children to learn and explain how the earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time

Planning

For the teaching of Geography we use the National Curriculum 2014 at Key Stage One and the EYFS Profile in our early years settings.

In Nursery and Reception classes, Geography is taught through an integrated topic-based approach, enabling children to make progress towards and meet the early learning goals in Understanding the World in particular.  Children have frequent opportunities to learn in the outside environment.

In Key Stage One, pupils develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness. Learners will be taught through the National Curriculum programmes of study which includes; Locational Knowledge, Place Knowledge, Human and Physical Geography as well as Geographical Skills and Fieldwork.

Learning activities are sequenced to ensure progression and continuity throughout the school. Teachers’ use Subject Knowledge Organisers in order to identify key aspects of the curriculum to be taught linked to each half termly topic. These are then used to plan a series of coherent and effective lessons that meet the expected outcome of pupils as well as providing opportunities for retrieval of key knowledge and vocabulary. Through the use of Subject Knowledge Organisers, school ensures full curriculum coverage and that high-quality lessons can be provided to ensure pupil development. The interests of the children are carefully considered during the planning process in order to inspire and motivate pupils.

Resources

Resources form an integral part of curriculum delivery in Geography. As part of their geographical learning, all children have opportunities to use ICT and a variety of data, such as maps, and graphs to enhance their learning. They also have opportunities to use the following resources: globes, atlases, pictures, photographs, and aerial photographs, cameras, books and games. Children also make use of the outdoor environment for field work, particularly Jones Wood and the allotments.

Health and Safety

Before any field study, a risk assessment will be carried out and submitted in accordance with the school’s and Education Authorities guidelines (see Policy for Educational Visits).

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

SMSC is intrinsically linked to the Geography curriculum. Through planning for Geography we aim to develop a positive attitude towards individuality and a respect for different cultures. Learning resources are carefully selected to support and develop awareness of different cultures and faiths.

Inclusion

We are an inclusive school and teach Geography to all children respecting individual needs. Through teaching Geography, we provide learning opportunities for all pupils. We strive to meet the needs of all pupils including those with special educational needs, disabilities, More Able and Talented and those learning English as an additional language (See Equality and Diversity Policy). Learning to live and work together, and respect each other is encouraged throughout the school.

Throughout school there are children with extremes of skills and children who have had a wide variety of experiences before they come to school. Our school aims to provide the children with stimulating and challenging activities which cater for the wide range of abilities throughout our school. This may be done by the use of differentiation, through the use of enhancing and enriching activities, use of questioning, valuing a pupil’s own self-assessment, judging learners’ understanding with accuracy and using this to inform future learning opportunities, knowing the next stage of learning and having high expectations of pupils.

Unicef Rights Respecting

In 2017 Walmley Infant School became a UN Rights Respecting School.

The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to. We aim to respect and promote the rights of children through the teaching of Geography and the following articles from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are particularly relevant to the teaching of Geography:

  • Article 13: Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions and to access all kinds of information, as long as it is within the law.
  • Article 14: Every child has the right to think and believe what they choose and also to practice their religion as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights.
  • Article 17: Every child has the right to reliable information from a variety of sources, and governments should encourage the media to provide information that the children can understand. Governments must help protect children from materials that could harm them.
  • Article 28: Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free.
  • Article 29: Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment.

Eco Schools

Walmley Infant School has achieved the Eco Schools’ Green Flag Award. The Eco-Schools programme provides an ideal way for fostering environmental awareness in the entire school in a way that links to many curriculum subjects. The primary aim of the Eco-Schools’ programme is to educate and empower young people to make positive decisions and become change makers for an environmentally sustainable world.

The Eco Schools’ topics that we are able to teach through Geography are as follows:

  • Biodiversity (defined as the variability among organisms on earth and within an ecosystem)
  • School grounds
  • Global citizenship

British Values

Democracy

In Geography, we have respect for our fellow pupils and encourage everyone to have the confidence to express their ideas and opinions regarding geographical issues such as pollution, environmental issues, water and globalisation.

The Rule of Law

In Geography, we examine different rules for living and consider the value of the rule of law where all people are equal before the law.

Individual Liberty

Children will explore their own individual liberty and that of others when comparing and contrasting locations. Children will also explore the people living in these environments and their individual liberties

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is taught and given when children are expressing their opinions and beliefs about different geographical parts of the world and the societies in them. Children discuss what it means to be British and learn how to question and challenge stereotypes respecting others opinions.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Children consider questions regarding how different cultures live throughout the world and have the opportunity to explore how areas have changed.

Impact

Assessment

Children are enabled to demonstrate geographical learning in a variety of ways. Teachers will assess learning through a combination of formal and informal tasks, by making informal judgements during the lesson, discussions, question and answer techniques and observation.

On completion of learning, the teacher assesses this by marking and commenting as necessary and uses the information to plan future learning. Written or verbal feedback is given to the child to help guide progress. Tapestry is used to track the attainment and progress of pupils.

Vocabulary

Pupil’s understanding of vocabulary is carefully considered and planned for specifically linked to the key objectives being taught from Nursery all the way to Year Two. This is not only used by staff during lessons but is also shared with Parents’ via Topic Overviews in the Early Years and Subject Knowledge Organisers in Key Stage One which also include vocabulary definitions so parents’ can support their children’s learning at home.

Pupil Voice

Dexter from Year 2

‘Did you know, there are Northern Lights in the Arctic?’

Jaya from Year 2

‘My favourite ocean is the Indian Ocean because my Grandpa and Grandma were born in India, by the Ocean.’

Florence from Year 2

‘Human features are when humans make them but a physical feature is grass and it is made by nature’.

Ben from Year 1

‘My Grandad comes from Belfast, it’s the capital City of Northern Ireland.’

Maisie from Year 1

‘Penguins and Orcas are from Antarctica.’

Stanley from Reception

‘Maps show you where you need to go.’

Charlie from Reception

‘There are different countries with different languages.’

Pavan from Nursery

‘’We used a map to explore the school.’

Cora from Nursery

‘I live in England.’