La Salette Catholic Primary School

Vision

 

At La Salette Catholic Primary School we aim to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them.

 

 

Aims and Objectives

 

The National Curriculum for Geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

 

·                     develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes

·                     understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time

·                     are competent in the geographical skills needed to:

- collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes

 - interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

- communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

 

Teaching and Learning in subject

 

The National curriculum organises the Geography attainment targets under four subheadings or

strands:

• Locational knowledge – naming and locating places and features from memory; using atlases, globes and maps.
• Place knowledge – developing a sense of the children’s place in the world; comparing and contrasting geographical areas to understand their characteristics and cultures; learning how places are interconnected and change over time.
• Human and physical geography – understanding the relationship between humans and the environment; exploring the Earth’s natural features and processes; considering the impact of human activity on settlements; learning about land use, trade and natural resources.
• Geography skills and fieldwork – using maps and diagrams; describing location and direction; planning and carrying out fieldwork enquiries.

 

 

As a school we are following the Geography scheme offered by Kapow which has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these four strands across each year group. The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Locational knowledge, in particular, will be reviewed in each unit to coincide with our belief that this will consolidate children’s understanding of key concepts, such as scale and place, in Geography.

 

Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical hands-on, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles.

 

 

Curriculum Planning

 

As a school, we use the Kapow scheme for planning and teaching Geography, this ensures consistency in all areas and that all areas of the National Curriculum and our vision are covered.

 

 

Whole School Geography Curriculum Overview