Geography
Intent
At Weeth School we believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. The geography curriculum at Weeth enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Social-emotional learning is key to children’s relational development. By helping them build skills like social awareness and responsible decision making, we teach them how to interact, collaborate, and learn from people of different backgrounds. Geography is about more than physical landscapes. Geography is about the people who inhabit these areas. It touches on who they are, their beliefs and traditions and their main source of industry. By teaching our children geography, we are introducing them to a new culture and allowing them the chance to walk in their shoes. Cultivating this empathy shows pupils that regardless of where people come from, we are all more alike than not.
Our 3 I’s (Inspire, Influence, Impact) permeates throughout our carefully selected units of work where pupils debate and discuss the impact of humans on the world and how we can influence and inspire positive change for all of our futures.
Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. The curriculum is designed to ensure that teaching 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. As pupils progress through the school, we use our incremental small steps to expand their knowledge about the world. This helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives, equipping them well for further education and beyond.
Implementation
Our delivery of Geography follows the National Curriculum and we use our Crofty small steps to ensure progressive and sequential coverage.
The teaching of Geography equates to at least one hour per week, however in some instances, lessons may be taught in longer blocks depending on the nature of the task.
The journey of Geography at Weeth starts in EYFS on a local scale where the pupils acknowledge their place in society. This is reinforced as children transition to the next year group where each autumn term, the focus is on community: nationally and/or internationally.
Within each unit of work, in addition to learning key geographically skills and knowledge, children are encouraged to consider and debate the impact of humans on our planet. This can be done through discussions, posing challenging questions and end of unit case studies.
Excursions and field trips take place annually to complete field work to support and enhance their learning. We maximise our unique location (links to tin mining and close to coastal areas) to give children first-hand experience of what it is like to be a geographer.
Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
Prominent displays are in each classroom reflecting the current unit being taught. They include key vocabulary and celebrate learning created by the children.
Geography Overview
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | ||
| FS2 | Where I Live? | Winter | Spring//Seasonal Change | Our Planet | ||
| Year 1 | Our Kingdom, Our Community | Cornish Coasts | World Weather | |||
| Year 2 | Our Global Community |
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Oceans 5 | Camborne to the Congo | ||
| Year 3 | Two Sides of the Equator | Temperate Forests | Rainforests – Amazon | |||
| Year 4 | Red River | Roving Rivers | The Amazon (linked to the water cycle- covered by Science Small steps)
Consolidation case study – Amazon (river and rainforest) Impact on environment by people |
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| Year 5 | Mountain Rangers | Shake and Quake | ||||
| Year 6 | The Power of Our Community | Newlyn – Fishing and Tourism
Case Study |
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