Geography

Why our Geography Curriculum looks like this? 

At St Mary and St John, we aim to provide a high-quality Geography curriculum from EYFS to Year 6 which allows us to think about the world around us- making sense of our physical world and community, how it is changing and how we, as humans, affect the environment around us. Our aim is to fulfil the requirements of the National curriculum for Geography; providing a broad, balanced, inspiring and differentiated curriculum. We intend to progressively develop geographical enquiry, knowledge and skills but also to nurture the children’s natural curiosity and fascination; instilling a life-long love of geography and respect for the world in which we live. We aim to ensure children are aware of topical geographical issues, the importance of sustainability and human impact upon our world. Armed with this information, the children are better informed to make decisions about how they chose to live and have a better understanding of cultures different to their own. Teaching at St. Mary and St John Primary School equips 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.

How Geography is taught at St. Mary and St John Catholic Primary School?

• Our Geography progression in skills document was carefully designed together by staff to ensure that the skills/knowledge taught is progressive from year group to year group across the whole school.

• Staff have access to the Plan Bee plans and resources, however, teachers lesson design is not limited by this and is informed by national agencies, including the Geography Association, which the school is a member of. 

• Geography at St. Mary and St John Primary School is taught in discrete half termly units with all classes teaching geography at the same. This allows the children to achieve depth in their learning and teachers are able to see clear progression across school.

• Subject Sharing Assemblies are planned in at the end of every half term and each year group is given the opportunity to talk about and share their work/project with the whole school.

• Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge. 

• The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year. 

• Visits to places within and beyond the locality are used to develop children’s understanding of the world in which they live. The children regularly explore the local area; ranging from mapping our street in Reception, conducting river studies at the River Douglas in Year 4 and orienteering at Haigh Hall in Year 5.

• Our termly Share the Learning afternoons offer an opportunity for parents to engage with the school and join in with their children’s learning.

• Pupils use and interpret a wide range of sources of geographical information, including maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

• Emphasis is placed on Geographical enquiry and inclusion of a ‘WOW’ factor in each topic, which inspires children to have an excitement for finding out about the world.

How will we measure the impact of our Geography Curriculum? 

• At St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School, we have devised a subject specific Assessment Tracker that determines children’s development of skills, understanding and informs teachers planning.

• This is completed on a termly basis by the class teacher, and is shared with Subject Leaders and SLT.

• Subject Leaders also carry out regular learning walks, Book Looks, lesson observations and pupil discussions. Book Swaps are a regular feature in our Staff Meeting time.

• Action Plans are reviewed termly by Subject Leaders and shared annually with Governors

At St Mary and St John we hope to inspire a life-long love of geography and to equip our children with a secure grounding for their secondary education and beyond. We hope to: 

Extend pupils’ experiences and awareness beyond the personal to the wider world.

Encourage pupils to think in new ways about their own contexts of the world.

Enable pupils to describe, analyse, explain, understand and develop their own values. 

Empower pupils through their application of geography thinking