GEOGRAPHY
Geography is taught as an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge, and skills. Our curriculum reflects the intent, breadth and depth of the National Curriculum. We have adopted the CUSP schemes of work to support the delivery of high-quality lessons, in which the knowledge and skills taught are carefully sequenced, building on previous learning toward clearly determined outcomes. Our intent, when teaching Geography, is to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world; to promote an interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources, natural and human environments; together with a deep understanding of the Earth's key physical and human processes. We also seek to encourage children’s lifelong passion and commitment to the subject. Children’s sense of curiosity to research and learn about the world and the people who live in it, is fostered by fieldwork and development of geographical skills and techniques, including the memorisation of interesting and key facts. Through the sequenced skills taught within topics, children become ‘more expert’ over time. Children develop an ever broadening, coherent and deepening understanding of the subject. The teaching of geographical vocabulary is planned sequentially and cumulatively from Year 1 to Year 6, in such a way as to ensure a children have a clear understanding of key vocabulary and can apply these terms to explain and understand increasingly complex concepts and ideas.
Geography is planned and delivered to ensure both greater learning and retention of knowledge.
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The cumulative nature of the curriculum is made memorable by including retrieval and practice, word building and rich opportunities to use the skills developed as well as connected new concepts learned, to prior learning. The effect of this cumulative model supports opportunities for children to associate and connect with places, spaces, scale, people, culture and processes.
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By the time children leave Paxton, they will have an excellent understanding of the ways in which locations and places are interdependent, interconnected, as well as how much human and physical environments are interrelated. Children will also have an extensive bank of geographical knowledge and vocabulary. Children will be able to confidently speak into their learning and the skills they have acquired over time. This is buttressed by an effective model of end of topic assessment which supports both the formative and summative assessment of learning. As children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Our aim is for every child to have a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world, varying physical and human environments and those who live there.