Subject Leader: Miss S Miah

Intent

Heene C of E Primary School strives to be an inclusive community where ‘together in faith we love, grow and learn’ Our curriculum is the vehicle in which we demonstrate our vision in action through our core values (respect, curiosity, kindness, resilience, hope and confidence) 

Through our Geography curriculum, we aim to expand geographical vocabulary, increase our children’s knowledge and curiosity of the wider world and promote high aspirations. We seek to create a life-long love of the subject, through teaching our children about diverse places, people and resources.  

Through the study of natural and human environments, as well as physical and human processes, our desire is to provide our children with a sense of awe and wonder about the world they live in.  

Our geography curriculum will equip our pupils with a rich knowledge of and a respect for the countries and cultures of our planet. Children will have the opportunity to talk about their own culture and show respect and kindness when learning from their peers. They will discover the impact of our actions on the environment and on the diversity which exists in it inspiring a hopeful attitude and knowledge about solutions to problems affecting our world. 

Our curriculum is designed to provide our children with the subject specific language they need to describe, question and discuss the world, as well as their place in it. Our pupils are encouraged to recognise that they have a voice and to use it confidently to debate topics that they feel passionate about, for example, deforestation or renewable energy. We aim to produce well- rounded individuals by providing our children with opportunities to expand their cultural capital and experiences of the world.  

Geographical skills are developed from the very start of the Heene journey. Our children learn how to use maps, photographs and diagrams to find and locate where they live and, and as they build their mapping skills, they use these to compare and contrast countries, regions and localities. This enables them to identify how the world is developing and constantly changing. 

Our children will develop a love and understanding of the physical and human world, by discovering the rich and varied features that exist within it. We enhance our classroom learning with fieldwork and educational trips, encouraging children to find answers to problems and to develop resilience. 

Implementation

Geography is implemented across the school through an enquiry led approach to foster curiosity linking to locational knowledge, place knowledge, an understanding for both human and physical geography with skills of map and fieldwork. Through strands of locational and place knowledge to educate pupils are taught about diverse locations and people. Children carry out fieldwork in the school grounds, in the local area and further afield in conjunction with sites of interest. Each lesson is underpinned by Rosenshine’s principles of instruction, initially starting with retrieval of prior knowledge. This enables geography teaching to build on what the children already know and how best to move their learning forward with a variety of different learning activities or styles. 

Impact

Through geography, pupils develop a deep understanding of places, people, and environments, enabling them to think critically about how the world is interconnected. They gain essential skills in enquiry, map reading, and problem-solving, preparing them to make informed decisions as responsible global citizens. Children have an awareness of the world around them and how geography contributes to many aspects of life. Children will be confident map users, have an understanding of natural phenomena and are enthused about geography.