Geography

Intent (What is our Geography curriculum?) 

Geography is an essential part of the curriculum, it provides a means of exploring, appreciating,and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. Geography explores the relationship between the Earth and its people through the study of place, space and environment. It contributes to the cultural, social, spiritual and moral life of children as they acquire knowledge of a range of different cultures and traditions and learn ‘appreciation and understanding of other people and environments. 

Geography is the subject in which pupils learn the skills of understanding a locality and how and where people fit into its overall structure. Developing geographical skills is essential as children live in a world that is wide open to them. With opportunities to travel and work in different cities and countries across the world, pupils need to use maps, charts and other geographical data. The opportunities for the children to carry out geographical enquiry are also of significant value.

At HCJS, Geography is more often than not, taught alongside History as a topic uint - some are more Geography focused and some History focused. Each topic covers some content from both subjects however.

Each year group covers a variety of such topics, as detailed below. This ensures that the children are exposed to a wide range of learning opportunities, which enables them to utilise their geographical knowledge and understanding to make meaningful connections.  

 History and Geography topics at HCJS

Implementation (How do we deliver the curriculum?) 

At Haddenham Community Junior School, we believe that children learn best via a holistic, creative curriculum where they are taught through a range of activities and experiences. The children undertake a broad and balanced programme that takes account of abilities, aptitudes, and physical, emotional and intellectual development. Through Geography, the children learn a range of skills, concepts, attitudes, and methods of working.

During Key Stage 2, pupils investigate a variety of people, places, and environments in the United Kingdom and abroad, and start to make links between different places in the world. They find out how people affect the environment and how they are affected by it. Pupils carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. In doing this, they ask geographical questions, and use geographical skills and resources, such as maps, atlases, aerial photographs, and ICT. Children will develop geographical enquiry skills, including asking geographical questions, collecting, and recording information and identifying different views. They will acquire the appropriate practical skills associated with Geography, including using suitable vocabulary, fieldwork techniques and maps, plans and atlases. Pupils will use secondary sources of information with accuracy, including aerial photographs, satellite images, etc. As well as making its own distinctive contribution to the school curriculum, Geography contributes to the wider aims of primary education. Teachers will ensure that links between subjects are maximised.

We, as a school, base our planning on the needs of our children and provide a broad curriculum that encompasses the teaching of essential elements of Geographical skills and understanding, whilst allowing the children to work creatively.  The coverage provided by our approach to learning meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, in the form of engaging and comprehensively planned lessons. We plan, using many different sources and ensure that this is adapted to create bespoke lessons that are relevant and meet the needs of our learners.  Our children enjoy topic lessons that are well-resourced and purposeful. They make connections which can then be assessed through rigorous formative assessment, including verbal feedback and written examples, quizzes and presentations as well as opportunities to write at greater length when appropriate. 

The progression of skills and knowledge in Geography over KS2 are measured against descriptors in the Quigley Essentials Curriculum (taken from the National Curriculum). These milestones, or ‘small steps’, measure a child’s progress against a scale that will lead, by Year 6, to the threshold statement that aligns with the expectations of the National Curriculum.

Impact (How do we measure attainment?) 

At Haddenham Community Junior School, assessment is an integral part of the teaching process. Assessment is used to inform planning and to facilitate differentiation. The assessment of children’s work is on-going to ensure that understanding is being achieved and that progress is being made. Feedback is given to the children as soon as possible and marking work will be guided by the school’s Marking Policy.

The achievement of Expected level for each year group is evidenced through first-hand observation of how students perform at lesson objective level, drawing on evidence from pupil voice interviews, book scrutiny, observations, assessments, and curriculum reviews. Together, this bank of information allows teachers to assess the children robustly and informatively at 4 key assessment points that we call threshold concepts.