GEOGRAPHY
INTENT:
At St. Joseph’s, we believe that a high-quality Geography curriculum should promote a curiosity and fascination about our changing world and the people in it whilst developing essential Geography skills that will equip and prepare our children for KS3.
Intent
We are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Benwell so that they can develop a real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special. Through this work they compare their life in this area with that of other regions in the United Kingdom and in the rest of the world.
Our children will learn how to draw and interpret maps, and they develop the skills of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving.
We aim to ensure that all children:
Are provided with a relevant and stimulating Geography curriculum which instils curiosity about people and places, bringing Geography to life for them in school and on well-planned visits.
Are equipped with geographical knowledge and vocabulary which they can retrieve and communicate in order to explain what they have learned.
Acquire the necessary skills in order to ask perceptive questions, think critically, analyse evidence and develop their own informed judgements.
Have a knowledge of other cultures and a respect and understanding of what it means to be a positive citizen in a multi-cultural society.
Learn graphic skills, including how to use, draw and interpret maps.
Know and understand environmental problems at a local, regional and global level.
Develop a commitment to sustainable development, and an appreciation of what ‘global citizenship’ means.
Develop a variety of Geographical skills, including those of enquiry, problem-solving, ICT, investigation, and that of presenting their conclusions in the most appropriate way.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Using the approach that it is ‘Our curriculum for our children’, topics are chosen specifically for their relevance. An enquiry-based approach is used in order to encourage and develop independent learning and critical thinking.
Essential field studies are incorporated into the units of work to deepen geographical skills and to actively involve pupils in their learning.
Geography is taught as a subject in its own right but is developed even further through cross-curricular links with English, Mathematics, Science and IT.
IMPACT:
Standards of children’s work throughout school and of the quality of teaching, are monitored thorough book scrutiny, class displays and also pupil interviews; then individual feedback is given and examples of good practice are shared.
By the time the children leave St. Joseph’s, they will be will equipped with a strong knowledge of Geography, as well as a range of key geographical skills. They will have developed a curiosity and understanding of the world around them and be confident in asking crucial questions, of themselves and others, about how humans will continue to impact on the world. They will have a strong awareness of how our world is changing, as a result of climate change, and be inspired to make innovative changes in their own lives, for the benefit of all society.