Geography
GEOGRAPHY
At Holt Farm Infant School, we want our children to love geography! Our aim is that, through the teaching of Geography we provide a purposeful platform for exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. We want to ensure that through Geography, pupils are able to explore the relationship between the Earth and its people through the study of place, space and environment. In Geography, pupils in our school will learn the skills of understanding locational knowledge; how and where people fit into its overall structure. We also intend for children to become passionate and knowledgeable about our local community and beyond, by learning through experiences in practical and fieldwork activities.
Curriculum
At Holt Farm, Geography is taught in every year group, once a week.
· Topics are blocked to allow children to focus on developing their knowledge and skills, studying each topic in depth.
· Our Geography curriculum is designed so that children start with ‘themselves’ and their local area before working out to the UK and the rest of the world.
· Location knowledge and map work are woven throughout all Geography topics.
· We have developed a progression of skills with each year group, which enables pupils to build on and develop their knowledge and skills each year.
· In order to support children in their ability to know more and remember more, there are regular opportunities to review the learning that has taken place in previous topics as well as previous lessons.
· To support teaching, staff access a range of resources and planning.
· Effective use of educational visits and visitors are planned, to enrich and enhance the pupil’s learning experiences within the geography curriculum.
· Effective modelling by teachers ensures that children are able to achieve their learning intention, with misconceptions addressed within it.
· Through using a range of assessment tools, differentiation is facilitated by teachers, to ensure that each pupil can access the geography curriculum.
· Children are given clear success criteria in order to achieve the Learning Intention with different elements of independence.
· Cross-curricular links are planned for, with other subjects such as Maths, Writing and Computing.
EYFS
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of geography, people and communities through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. Children learn about features of their own environment such as school, home, community and their city through first-hand experiences and learn how environments may differ through the sharing of books, stories, poems, small world play, role play and visits. Children enjoy the valuable experiences gained from visiting and discussing places within their local community such as the library, park and local shops. Children are given time to discuss, comment and ask questions about what they observe about the world around them and are encouraged to be active learners and explore their interests further.
The impact of this curriculum design will lead to progress over time across key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. They will develop a deep knowledge, understanding an appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context.
Regular school trips will provide further relevant and contextual learning. Children will therefore be expected to leave Holt Farm reaching at least age-related expectations for Geography. Our Geography curriculum will also lead pupils to be enthusiastic Geography learners, evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice and their work.