Geography

Intent

At Fairways Primary School, we intend to nurture a passion and lifelong curiosity for Geography. We offer our learners the opportunity to explore and challenge themselves in the subject, in fun and relevant ways within a stimulating environment. The intention is to help foster inquisitiveness, enabling our children to gain key knowledge and skills which they will be able to transfer in their lives as global citizens.

Implementation

At Fairways, Geography is predominantly taught thematically through fascinating and engaging term/half termly themes. Through our progressive curriculum, individuals will learn about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

In Key Stage 1, pupils will develop knowledge about the world and will become familiar with the United Kingdom and their locality; enhancing their locational awareness. Key Stage 2 offers the children a chance to extend their knowledge to other areas of the world such as North and South America. They will develop their use of geographical knowledge and skills in order to study the world’s most significant human and physical features. Overall, our Geography curriculum enables children to cultivate knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and as such, we consider a cross-curricular approach when the lessons are being planned.

Geography at Fairways is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. Knowledge organisers help teachers to plan lessons in a way that ensure consistency across the curriculum and most importantly, they help to highlight the previous learning and consequent starting points for each year group. At the beginning of each topic, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to find out. This informs the programme of study and also ensures that lessons are relevant and take account of children’s different starting points. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage 2, our learners will have ignited a passion for the world and be able to comprehend and empathise with the diverse range of geographical features that they live amongst. The children will have developed their spiritual, moral, social and cultural which will play a key part in their future in further education and beyond.