Geography

The teaching of Geography at Sleights is underpinned by the ongoing development and acquisition of knowledge and skills. This development and acquisition occurs as a result of our own school’s curriculum sequence and progression, which maps out the core knowledge and skills children need to be highly effective sports people. This is supported by the use of the Kapow scheme of learning.

Our full Geography policy can be found here: Geography – July 2023

 

Geography at Sleights involves:

Dedicated curriculum time to engage in range of purposeful and practical geographical experiences, including fieldwork.

Sequenced learning experiences, which build on prior knowledge and understanding.

Developing a secure understanding of declarative knowledge relating to the practice of geographers.

Sessions and programmes led focused on building locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical processes and geographical skills.

Statement of Geography Intent:

The children at Sleights will be provided with a curriculum offer for Geography designed to:

• identify crucial learning, which is placed in context and connected to other knowledge.
• gain a secure understanding of geographical skills and concepts, supporting children to ‘think like a geographer’
• build on and develop geography knowledge and skills in a well sequenced and structured progression across their time at Sleights.
• support children’s acquisition and progressive understanding of substantive and disciplinary knowledge.
• enable children to use and develop a range of geographical skills relating to fieldwork.

Statement of Geography Implementation:

At Sleights, Geography activities are planned, so that they build upon the prior learning of the children. While there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in each activity area, there is planned progression built into the scheme of work, so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.

Geography at Sleights focuses on the acquisition of new knowledge and building on prior learning relating to:

Substantive knowledge

• locational knowledge: for example name and locate locations, position systems
• place knowledge: for example, the connection of location and physical and/or human geography processes with personal experience
• environmental, physical and human geography: for example, migration and climate change
• geographical skills and fieldwork: for example using maps, globes and first hand evidence

Disciplinary knowledge

• providing an insight into the ways geographers think

Long Term Planning

During each academic year, children complete three enquiry based units. These provide children with progressive opportunities to gain an understanding of location and place knowledge, environmental physical and human geography, geographical skills and fieldwork.

Geography is planned on a two year cycle.

Year A (2023/2025)	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Key Stage One	What is it like here?	What is the weather like in the UK?	What is it like to live in Shanghai?
Lower Key Stage Two	Why are the rainforests important to us?	Where does food come from?	What are the rivers and how are they used?
Upper Key Stage Two	What is life like in the Alps?	Why do oceans matter?	Would you like to live in the desert?

 

Year B (2024/2026)	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Key Stage One	Would you prefer to live in a hot or cold place?	Why is our world wonderful?	What is it like to live by the coast?
Lower Key Stage Two	Why do people live near volcanoes?	Who lives in Antarctica?	Are all settlements the same?
Upper Key Stage Two	Why does population change?	Where does our energy come from?	Can I carry out an independent fieldwork enquiry?

Statement of Geography Impact:

Assessment for learning is fundamental to raising standards and enabling children to reach their potential. Assessment in Geography takes place during and after each taught session, using a range of strategies such as verbal feedback, verbal discussions with children and response time.

Teachers assess children’s work in Geography by making assessments as they observe them working during lessons, using the same assessment framework throughout the school. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher, which can be used at the start or end of the unit to assess children’s understanding. Opportunities for children to present their findings using their geographical skills will also form part of the assessment process in each unit.