Geography
Subject Coordinator: Mrs L Cleminson
At Woodhouse Primary Academy we believe that the study of Geography will help to develop our pupils understanding of the world we live in and how to protect that world as future citizens. Our Geography curriculum has been designed to maximise opportunities for pupils to investigate, observe and make links between different aspects of the world we live in. Our Geography curriculum to develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
Within our EYFS, we begin our youngest children’s learning by encouraging them to observe, record, investigate and make links about their environment, their school, the weather and the people and places in their lives. We spend a great deal of time outdoors in the early years, this along with carefully planned learning through continuous provision and stories allows us to build the foundations of Geography with our children.
Our teachers use a wide range of age-appropriate strategies to create lessons that are effective, enjoyable and memorable. All geography lessons are clearly linked to a geographical discipline and provide opportunities to make links between past learning for our pupils.
Lessons are carefully sequenced and planned in order to provide opportunities of our children to overlearn and deepen their understanding. Opportunities for enrichment events, visitors and trips as well as defined field work opportunities have been carefully planned and sequenced, with a trip planned for each year group each academic year designed to deepen their geographical knowledge.
We have designed our Geography curriculum in order to broaden our pupils knowledge of diversity within the world ; from people, places, cultures, landscape and climate. We have identified opportunities to teach about sustainability and the interconnectedness of people in order to equip our pupils with the skills and knowledge to be future citizens of our modern world. We have also identified ways in which we can broaden our pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their local area, County Durham and the North East so that we can further equip our pupils to be responsible citizens of our community.
Our pupils are exposed to geographical vocabulary from a very early age. Key subject vocabulary is identified for each Geography topic and this vocabulary is always displayed on the children’s topic display board and referred to regularly during the lessons. As a result, the children use this vocabulary with accuracy and confidence in their learning.
Pupils are provided with ample opportunity to discuss their observations, enquiries and investigations in Geography lessons . It is valuable for our learners to not just be given the information and simply retain it, but for them to share their opinions, voice their queries, make conclusions and show curiosity about the world we live in.
We ensure that children are learning by checking understanding through spaced retrieval exercises, through book looks which are regularly undertaken and short ‘learning walks’ which take place each term that Geography is taught in. Teachers use informal assessments within lessons at the end of units to gain understanding and shape teaching and learning.
