Geography

Geography is challenging, motivating, topical and fun. In our diverse society, children need to know and understand about other people, cultures and the challenges our world faces. Geography makes a major contribution to children's physical, intellectual, social and emotional development. In short, geography matters.

Intent

Our overall intention is to nurture and develop our six qualities of learning which enable all children to shine…for life! We nurture and encourage creative, kind and resilient learners who are reflective, inquisitive and determined in all they do. Our intention is for learners at St Levan to know more and remember more in Geography by learning about location, physical properties and the impact of human beings upon the world.

To think like geographers, learners at St Levan focus on our three subject specific characteristics which are:

Location

  • I can locate

Physical Properties

  • I know about the Earth’s physical properties

Impact

  • I know how humans impact upon the world

These three characteristics are woven throughout our Geography curriculum and are built upon as children progress through the school. This ensures that children acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, couched in concepts and language with which they have already become familiar.

 

Our aim is to provide the children with a breadth of memorable experiences, to shape our pupils into curious and considerate global citizens. By the time our students leave us, they will be well equipped with the skills and the knowledge to explore the world around them and have a greater understanding of their planet.

 

We also intend for the children to develop an in-depth knowledge of our community and locality. We want the children to appreciate and respect the wonderful world and encourage stewardship of their surroundings.

 

Implementation

We provide an engaging, characterful and balanced curriculum for all.

Our inclusive curriculum is carefully planned to allow for progress for all pupils in our two mixed age classes. We recognise the challenges of teaching a progression within a subject to a mixed age class and, having undertaken our own research and consulted subject specialists and organisations, developed our own pedagogy and created what we believe is the best fit for our setting. Our children experience a wide range of school trips, including residential trips to Dartmoor, Plymouth and the rugged coastline of Porthpean and a number of local area visits to develop the children’s awareness of their locality. In lessons, children develop their geographical enquiry skills though exploring physical environments, human interactions and how the two areas intertwine with each other.

 

With a commitment to the removal of barriers to learning and participation, we offer high quality teaching and appropriate differentiation to meet the needs of all. Using our rolling programme (see our Curriculum Offer page), we teach Geography through termly topics and focus on geographical skills and fieldwork; geographical enquiry and skills; locational knowledge; place knowledge and human and physical geography.

 

Please find below our Geography Curriculum Progression documents:

We interconnect learning opportunities with an enriched environment to promote a love of learning and the outdoors.

Geography at St Levan is taught through a range of topic titles which make full use of our stunning, unique geographical location. Pupils learn from real experiences via field trips to a variety of locations from beaches to rivers which reinforce and develop our Geography subject specific characteristics. 

By the end of Key Stage 2 children from St Levan have a firm grasp of place, both local and global; and how they as individuals can impact on our planet for the better e.g. no single use plastic, ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. Pupils learn to care for ‘environments’ because they live and go to school within a very special one.

We ensure children are supported within a kind and caring community which enables them to progress and flourish.

Here are some of the ways we support pupils with SEND during Geography lessons.

Assessment

At St Levan, we use assessment in three different ways across all subjects.

Assessment for learning (AfL)

This assessment is formative, ongoing and informs classroom practice and future planning. Through careful observation, listening and questioning, teachers glean what learners know and can do and plan next steps accordingly. For example, in Geography, if a child in Year One is able to talk about some of the features of the town and countryside, a next step might be for this pupil to reflect on the similarities and differences between these urban/rural areas and be introduced to these more sophisticated terms. This could link to a story such as Town Mouse and Country Mouse.

Assessment as learning (AaL)

This assessment is about how pupils self-regulate their own learning and develop metacognitive skills. Through structured peer and self-assessment activities, pupils understand their own needs as a learner and reflect on their own next steps. By taking ownership of their own learning, this can help pupils to know more and remember more. For example, in Geography, pupils may self-assess against their WALTs and WILFs and highlight what they can do.

Assessment of learning (AoL)

This assessment is summative, at the end of a topic and usually involves an elicitation activity based on the geographical concepts covered. Teachers may use a picture, object, text, question, map etc.) and use questioning to draw out the pupils’ responses in order to gauge their understanding of what has been taught. An example of this, is KS2 pupils reflecting upon how land use has changed over time, using subject specific vocabulary of urban/rural landscapes. The example video below is a weather forecast from KS1 which linked together Science, Geography and Writing.

Impact

We aim for our children to be resilient, creative and kind individuals who are determined, inquisitive and reflective learners.

 

We use a range of strategies in Geography to assess what skills and knowledge the children have attained each term including the following:

  •          Book looks
  •          Use of mini quizzes
  •          Pupil Voice 
  •          Regular feedback after lessons
  •          Benchmarking using resources available with a view to develop our own in the long term
A weather forecast in Choughs!
Puffins exploring OS map symbols and using 6 figure grid referencing to locate specific features. 
Exploring the positive and negative impacts that humans have had at Porthcurno Beach. 
 
We were also able to observe the processes of erosion and deposition as the river crossed the sand. 
Our field notes and diagrams from the trip.
Home Learning in Puffins:
 
Recreate the Water Cycle in your own way!
Pupil Voice Puffins and Choughs 
February 2022

Useful Geography links:

 

The GA

The Geographical Association (GA) is the leading subject association for teachers of Geography.

 

WWF UK conservation

Protecting wildlife, protecting oceans and coasts and so much more.

 

OS Maps

Games, quizzes and more to help you develop your map reading skills!

 

Fun Geography games to play on a computer from National Geographic

Ideas for at home - the whole family can become Geographers!