Intent: Why do we teach geography?
Geography is about understanding the world we live in. It helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. At Buckingham Park children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. The geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferrable to other curriculum areas. Geography is an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. At Buckingham Park our intent, when teaching geography, is to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and people within it; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
Implementation: What do we teach?
Our curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children to flourish to become the very best they can possibly be. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear progression in skills and knowledge through an enquiry based approach. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. We fully utilise our local area to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. School trips and fieldwork are planned to give first hand experiences, which enhance children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality.
Impact : What will this look like?
The impact and measure of this is to ensure that children at Buckingham Park are equipped with geographical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world. We want to ensure that the children will know more, remember more and understand more about geography .By the time children leave Buckingham Park school they will:
- have an excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like including their local area
- have a very good understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated
- have an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary
- be fluent in geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques
- have the ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings
- have highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques
- have a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there
- have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment
