Geography at Barden

Intent

Our ambition at Barden Primary School is to stimulate children’s interest and foster a sense of wonder about the world around them including the physical and social conditions in different parts of the world whether that be locally or worldwide. We aim to help pupils acquire a wide range of geographical knowledge and skills to enable them to understand the relationship between Earth and its people. Barden’s geography curriculum has been designed to provide a coherently planned sequence of lessons to ensure children are progressively taught the knowledge, skills and concepts required by the National Curriculum. Children will consistently be given opportunities to make meaningful links between what they are currently learning with what they have previously studied. Each geography topic has been organised to offer a clear outline of the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that are to be taught in a coherent way. Clear statements define the locational knowledge, place knowledge, environmental, human and physical knowledge that children are expected to learn.  ​

Our geography teaching at Barden aims to ensure that all children can: ​

• gain and use a wide range of geographical vocabulary  ​
• understand geographical concepts such as place and space, scale and connection, physical and human geography, environment and sustainability and culture and diversity.​
• use geographical concepts to make connections, draw contrasts and ask geographical valid questions  ​
• think like a geographer​
• to develop an appreciation of the how and why human actions change environment locally, nationally and globally and how we can have a positive impact on our world whilst encouraging others to do so

Implementation​

Geography in our school will be underpinned by the study of real places and discovering how the people living there are influenced by and affect the environment of those places. A range of inclusive and effective learning strategies will be used in all lessons to capture pupils’ interest and to promote effective learning and progress for all pupils. We will develop pupil’s knowledge and geographical understanding by first immersing them in the area where they live and then by gradually widening their horizons and increasing their awareness of their town, their region, their nation, other lands and continents. Our whole school approach to long term memory will be embedded in the delivery of geography through the use of regular retrieval activities, enabling children to know more and remember more.  ​

First-hand experiences, visits, visitors and the local and wider environment will be used at every opportunity to ignite children’s curiosity to know more about the world around them.  ​

A range of teaching strategies will be used to provide appropriate differentiation to support all children including those with special educational needs, English as an additional language and disadvantaged pupils.  ​

Teachers will use Barden’s geography curriculum framework to develop the long-term knowledge, skills and understanding of every child, ensuring all pupils achieve high standards for their ability and make appropriate progress towards year group end points.  

Impact​

We use both formative and summative assessment information in geography. Assessment informs learning to ensure that all pupils, including disadvantaged and those with SEND, achieve highly and acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. Staff use assessment information to inform their short-term planning and address misconceptions. This helps us provide the best possible support for all of our pupils. The end points for each phase have been carefully mapped out and further broken down. This means that the essential knowledge and skills in geography are progressive and build throughout their school journey.​

Whole School Geography Curriculum Map

National Curriculum Coverage

Useful Website links for children and parents:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcdqxnb

https://digimapforschools.edina.ac.uk/

Digimap for Schools is an online mapping service Barden subscribes to. It is used to provide easy access to a range of current and historical Ordnance Survey maps and aerial photography.                  Logins can be provided to pupils if needed.

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/

Fun Geography games and quizzes for children!

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

A useful, child friendly website to help children with:

• Understanding scale
• Testing grid reference skills
• Understanding map symbols
• Compass and direction