Geography
Intent
Our Geography intent at Coppice Primary is to inspire pupils with curiosity and fascination about the world around them and beyond. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, and through this we aim to develop pupils’ respect for global issues as well as their understanding of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills.
We intend that, through geographic investigation, pupils learn to appreciate the connection between near and far, the world’s key physical features, and the human processes, people and environments that shape it, as well as the economic and social developments in different places and regions.
Geographical skills are transferable to other curriculum areas, and we therefore aim to develop pupils’ ability to identify a question, guide an investigation, organise information, suggest an explanation and assist decision-making in Geography and the wider curriculum and promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Our Geography curriculum therefore offers a powerful way of seeing the world and creates empowered, responsible global citizens in the real world today.
The National Curriculum
The National Curriculum for Geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
Learning Opportunities in Our Geography Curriculum
Learning opportunities for the children are provided through a combination of whole-class teaching and enquiry-based research activities. We encourage children to ask as well as answer geographical questions. We offer them the opportunity to use a variety of data, such as maps, artefacts, statistics, graphs, pictures, and aerial photographs, and we enable them to use IT in Geography lessons where this serves to enhance their learning.
Where possible, our curriculum encourages a hands on approach using a mixture of fieldwork, technology and research skills to enrich pupils' knowledge and understanding of their place in the world. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.
Children also take part in role-play and discussions, debates, and they present reports to the rest of the class.
In Early Years, children begin to develop prerequisite skills for Geography through the specific area of EYFS - Understanding the World from the People, Culture and Communities and the Natural World (vocabulary of physical and human features). The children learn to make sense of the immediate and then the greater world around them, contrasting and comparing different environments. They will learn to explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries. Children will also learn to understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons.
In EYFS this is implemented through:
- Books, stories, maps
- Walks and visits (walk around immediate environment noticing physical and human features)
- Artefacts
- Photographs
- Short film
- Continuous provision (small world – farm, city, book area, role play, puzzles)
Geography at Coppice is fun, hands on and will support our children in becoming curious, creative individuals.
