Geography Curriculum

Intent

Reflecting the importance of global changes affecting the world in which we live, it is our intention that the study of Geography encompasses these issues. Geography will help pupils to raise and answer questions about the Natural and Human worlds. It will enable pupils to think critically about the impact human activity has on the natural world, cities and population amongst others. It will spark pupils’ curiosity about places and people. It will promote knowledge, interest and fascination about diverse places, their differing natural geography, human environments and resources. Geography at New Wave will help pupils to become knowledgeable citizens, concerned about the future of the world, able to understand key geographical concepts and skills and aware of the connections that exist between people and places.

Implementation

Through the 2014 National Curriculum framework, Geography within the New Wave Federation is taught using a topic based curriculum and aims to ensure that all our pupils;

• to participate in fieldwork activities which promotes geographical knowledge and understanding by bridging the divide between the classroom and the real world.
• have the opportunities to work in a supportive and collaborative learning space which fosters investigative and enquiry based learning
• to be able to use geographical vocabulary which is appropriate and accurate and which develops and evolves from EYFS to KS1 and through to KS2
• collect, analyse and present a range of data, gathered through experiences of fieldwork, to deepen understanding of geographical processes
• use and interpret a wide range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes and aerial photographs
• are able to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length
• participate activities which promote a greater understanding of their place in the world, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment

Impact

We use a variety of strategies to evaluate the knowledge, skills and understanding that our children have gained in each half-termly unit:

• CPD to ensure that teacher pedagogy and assessment is secure.
• regular feedback marking and pupil voice feedback.
• subject monitoring, including book looks.
• regular low stakes knowledge assessments, using a range of creative approaches.
• Cross-federation moderation to ensure secure teacher judgements.

Enrichment

We maximise children’s Geography learning through providing them with a range of rich, memorable experiences. These include: field trips to local parks, reservoirs, canals and museums; links with local businesses and people, e.g. visits to our local market; visitors and workshops in-school, e.g. Eco-Active recycling workshops; trips beyond Hackney and London, e.g. Year 6 trip to Dorset.