How we teach Geography at Wordsworth Primary School and Nursery

How we teach geography:

Our curriculum is focused predominately on seaside and coastal localities as Southampton is a coastal city. This gives our children first-hand experiences on which to build their Geographical knowledge and understanding.

Themes as part of our Geography long term plan are progressive and are designed to broaden children’s Geography understanding from their starting points in Nursery.  Starting in EYFS, the children will begin to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment through making sense of their own physical world and school community.  In Year R children begin to use photos of features of places and aerial photographs as part of mapping and fieldwork. The EYFS will focus on familiar localities such as home and the school environment. 

In KS1, the children will begin to use ICT, world maps, atlases and globes, as well as simple compass directions, and plans as well as simple fieldwork.  At the beginning of KS1 teaching and learning will continue to focus on familiar localities of Shirley and Southampton. This will progress to localities in the UK then different continents across the world starting in the later stages of Key stage 1. 

In KS2 they will build and expand on this knowledge looking at different localities in Europe and across the world. Children will continue to have opportunities to revisit and makes links to familiar places such as Southampton, the River Itchen and The Solent; particularly in lower Key Stage 2. In upper Key Stage 2 teaching and learning will focus in more detail on environment, sustainability and climate change by studying questions such as What are Biomes? and How do we effect our world?

In all key stages children have age and developmentally appropriate opportunities to develop their understanding of:

• Location and place
• Settlement and land use
• Human and physical features
• Mapping and directional skills
• Environment and sustainability; and
• Weather and climate

What you will see in the classrooms:

Our curriculum immerses children in the local environment, our country and the rest of the world and will foster a curiosity and fascination to experience Geography for themselves.

Children will be:

• learning specific skills related to geography learning what it takes to be a ‘Geographer’ – comparing locations, researching different sources, writing and talking about places.
• practising transferable skills such as research, observation, measurement, recording and presentations.
• using maps, atlases, globes, aerial photos and plans.

Geographers at Wordsworth Primary School and Nursery will be engaged and motivated to develop a deep and broad understanding of how physical features are created, the impact of people on our planet and the interaction between humans and the world around them. Children will think critically about the world around them and the country and place they live.

How do we make our Geography curriculum inclusive:

We believe that all pupils should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential whatever their background, identity, circumstances and needs. To achieve this, the Geography Leader sets high expectations for Geography Curriculum and supports staff in delivering its content. Teaching staff are required staff are provide high quality inclusive Geography teaching for all pupils in their class, planning for a top-down approach as well as providing appropriate adjustments and targeted support so that all children are able to access the curriculum.

The Geography curriculum itself explores diversity through exploring settlements beyond our school’s immediate locality. In Key Stage Two children will explore perspectives of others through the introductions of case studies into the curriculum, for example fair trade.

Geography Protocol

Classroom environment

• Hexagon overview sheet needed in books and displayed in class when Geography is being taught
• Hexagon words displayed in classroom
• Learning journey displayed where there are Geography displays

Teaching and Learning

• Progression document must be used for planning
• Skills explicitly taught and referenced
• No more than 6 hexagon words (with pictures added) per unit – must be particularly relevant to the particular unit, not just the subject in general
• Explicit instruction using the "I do/you do" approach
• Scaffolding where appropriate for children at different levels
• Many opportunities for practical practising of skills during lessons