Geography 

Intent

At Dinglewell Infant School we will provide a broad and balanced geography curriculum that inspires the curiosity of our pupils to want to want to learn more about the world. We promote the children’s understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes, appropriate for their age. 

Our children develop their geographical knowledge and skills so that they are more aware of the world around them and the people in it.  Our local area has plentiful examples of both human and physical geography. Examples of this include our school grounds and adjacent open spaces, the local shops, the various types of housing found locally, Gloucester Docks and The River Severn and its tributaries.

Our aim is for our children to succeed in becoming confident geographers by providing opportunities for them to develop their geographical skills and become geographical thinkers with a wealth of knowledge that is progressive as well as transferable. 

At Dinglewell Infant School we:

• Develop skills of observation, enquiry and questioning 
• Inspire curiosity, a thirst for geographical knowledge and finding answers collaboratively 
• Succeed by learning fundamental geographical knowledge to make sense of the changing world around us

Our school values/curriculum drivers underpin all that we do at Dinglewell Infants School and are integral to our geography provision:

• Care - we take care of our local environment and the wider world around us.
• Co-operation - we learn together and work together. We value each others' ideas and opinions.
• Creativity - we present our knowledge and understanding in a variety of creative ways.
• Honesty -  we give honest opinions about what we observe and learn.
• Respect - we respect other people's points of view, their living environments and their cultures.
• Responsibility - we show an awareness of how what we do affects our environment and are responsible for the choices we make, which will affect the future of our world. 

Implementation

The geography curriculum has been reviewed as a whole school, to ensure progression across all 3 years. To guarantee coverage, planning will consider the progression of skills, knowledge and understanding as outlined in the National Curriculum.

At Dinglewell, Early Years staff follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework (September 2021), which aims to guide children to make sense of their physical world and their community.  Listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world.  Children are introduced to vocabulary associated with geography as they explore aspects of the world around them (see vocabulary progression).

In KS1, the geographical skills and knowledge will focus on the local environment and then the wider world around them. This will ensure a firm foundation in readiness for KS2 Geography.

At Dinglewell, geography is taught throughout the year through carefully chosen topics, so that children achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills for each topic and have a good knowledge of the topics they teach.  Where possible and appropriate, cross-curricular outcomes in geography are specifically planned for in other subjects such as English, Science and History.  Consideration is given to how every learner will be able to access the geography curriculum and support is given to those who need it, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

Learning will start by revisiting prior knowledge. This will be ‘scaffolded’ to support children to recall previous learning and make connections. Teachers will model the subject-specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills relevant to the learning to allow children to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. 

Children will be given a variety of experiences within the classroom and also outdoors to create memorable learning opportunities, foster curiosity and enthusiasm for geography and to further support and develop their understanding.  They will be encouraged to question and analyse what has been presented to them and to present their findings in different ways.  Educational visits are used, where appropriate, to enhance the learning experience, as well as exploring our local geography, allowing the children to achieve a sense of relevance and belonging.

Teachers are continually carrying out formative assessments to check pupil’s understanding and identify misconceptions.  Children’s knowledge and understanding in KS1 is assessed through recorded work and conversations with the children themselves. ‘Pupil Voice’ is recorded in class books and written work is in their Learning Journeys/‘Foundation Subjects’ folders. Children are provided with clear feedback, usually verbally, but can also be in written form.  These assessments are used to inform teachers’ subsequent planning. The geography subject lead is provided with an evaluation of coverage, assessment and implementation when a unit of work has been completed (usually at the end of a topic).

Parents are informed of their child’s progress at two formal consultation sessions and receive a report at the end of the academic year which shows children’s strengths and areas for development.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage 1 our children will have developed secure geographical skills and fieldwork that will support them in the next stage of their learning.  They will have a good understanding of aspects of human and physical geography, they will recognise and name the world’s continents and oceans, they will know about changes in weather and seasons, they will know the countries that make up the UK and their capital cities. They will learn the skills required for simple map making and become competent in collecting, analysing and communicating a range of data gathered. They will learn to interpret a range of sources of geographical information and communicate this in a variety of ways.  

Children’s work and individual ‘Class Learning Journey’ folders will show some of the children’s knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts.  Pupil voice is a chance for children to, not only talk about what they have learnt and make connections between their learning, but also demonstrate their enthusiasm for geography.  Photos and videos of children taking part in lessons will demonstrate children’s engagement with geography and one off moments that cannot be otherwise captured or evidenced.

Our aspiration for our children is that they leave our school as well-rounded empathetic individuals who are aware of the diversity of the world around them and the impact they as people have on our world.