Geography

IMPLEMENTATION:

At Christ Church Primary School, we use the Primary Connected Geography Scheme of Work to deliver the National Curriculum for Geography throughout Key Stage 1 and 2.  In Foundation we follow the EYFS framework and our pupils are taught the knowledge and skills to make sense of their physical world and community through a range of personal experiences.  The themes are linked to the Scheme of Work for Key Stage 1 to ensure progression as pupils move from EYFS to Key Stage 1. 

Christ Church adopts an enquiry focused approach to learning and teaching in geography which develops our pupils as young geographers. Through enquiry our pupils not only build subject knowledge and understanding but become increasingly adept at critical thinking, specialised vocabulary and their grasp of subject concepts. We structure learning in geography through big question led enquiries about relevant geographical topics, places and themes. Our curriculum is therefore ‘knowledge rich’ rather than content heavy as we recognise that if we attempt to teach geographical topics, places, themes and issues in their entirety we restrict opportunities for pupils to master and apply critical thinking skills and achieve more challenging subject outcomes. Knowledge and skills are regularly visited so children know more and can remember more.

Each geographical enquiry highlights both the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the investigation. They are also carefully structured through the use of ancillary questions, to enable pupils to build their knowledge and understanding in incremental steps of increasing complexity until they reach the point where they are able to answer the question posed at the beginning of the investigation. Our learning and teaching in geography also recognises the importance of fieldwork with a number of our investigations involving observation, recording, presentation, interpretation and the evaluation of geographical information gathered outside of the classroom.