Geography

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Our aims for geography at St Thomas Becket

Through the provision of a high quality geography curriculum we aim to inspire a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with our children for the rest of their lives, ensuring that they are well prepared for further education and beyond. The curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils are equipped with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

Over the course of their time in our school we aim for all pupils to develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. In Key Stage One the pupils are taught basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and they begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness. In Key Stage Two the pupils extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This includes the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They will develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

As pupils progress through the school, their growing knowledge about the world helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. We have designed our curriculum to inspire our students to respect and appreciate the diversity and interconnectivity of our world and its citizens. We also aim to ensure our children develop a deep understanding of the effect that humans have on their environment and how they can effect positive changes in the world.

 

How we teach geography at St Thomas Becket

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in geography at St Thomas Becket we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the school and we ensure that geography has the same importance given to it as the core subjects.

Geography at St Thomas Becket is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children develop depth in their learning. Two geography topics are taught in each year group and these topics last for approximately half a term each. The key knowledge and skills that children should learn and develop throughout each topic have been mapped to ensure progression between year groups throughout the school. Geography is taught following the Learning Challenge Curriculum model of starting with a ‘Big Question’. Teachers plan their ‘Big Question’ as a hook to get the children thinking about what they will be learning. Enrichment opportunities and opportunities to apply learning across other subjects are a vitally important part of each year group’s planning process.

We intend for our children to have real life experiences and learn about geography in an active and creative way and therefore visitors and trips form a fundamental part of our curriculum. Links to geography and other subject areas are also explored. We make the most of our locality and our proximity to London; we study the geography of the local area and we ensure that the children visit the wide range of museums, and galleries that are close by. We also invite in visiting experts during the year to enrich our children’s learning in geography.

 

What our children will have learnt in geography

By the end of their time at St Thomas Becket, our children will have a thorough understanding of the physical and human features of the world around them. They will leave with an excitement for exploration and an open mind for learning about different countries and cultures. Our pupils will be able to use their skills gained through geography to understand the ever changing world they live in, to apply their knowledge to other curriculum subjects and to have dynamic ideas for the future.