Geography at The Kennet Federation  

‘The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exist across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together’

- Barack Obama

Intent:

The intention of our Geography curriculum is to inspire pupils with a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We aim to provide a broad and balanced Geography curriculum accessible to all children regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, special needs, attainment or background. All children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world as well as their place in it through a wide variety of experiences and opportunities tailored to their needs to equip them with the tools to become independent geography learners – both inside and outside the classroom. We promote Geographical enquiry to provoke thought, questions and encourage children to discover answers to their own questions through exploration and research.  We equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places (their local areas and the wider world), people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes through passionate teaching and memorable experiences. We foster children to become well rounded citizens, who understand similarities and differences between places and their cultures and are able to recognise how these change over time. We adapt and personalise learning opportunities and aids to maximise potential and provide equity. Through Geography, we respond to individuals in ways which take into account their varied life experiences and particular needs enabling all children to become confident in Geography and able to communicate their own views. Our rich and balanced Geography curriculum is designed to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, throughout their time at The Kennet Federation and beyond.

Implementation:

Our Geography curriculum is planned in line with substantive and disciplinary knowledge outlined in the National Curriculum throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. We ensure that the planning of disciplinary knowledge, substantive knowledge (including geographical vocabulary) and understanding is in line with age appropriate expectations. Each year group has three Geography units which are to be covered over the year. Each unit carefully develops the disciplinary and substantive knowledge necessary for progressive learning and are designed to be exciting and engaging. Learning is revisited and built upon to develop automaticity, fluency, enquiry and reasoning skills. The small steps of learning are modelled to support the children in achieving their intended goal. Children are provided with a scaffolded approach to their Geography learning and high level questioning and the use of visual aids will be prevalent across our teaching of Geography. Our Geography curriculum is planned so that children start with ‘themselves’ and their school and local area before working out to regions of the United Kingdom (for example, the classroom and playground environment (Year 1), Brilliant Berkshire (Year 3) and the River Kennet (Year 4)), and the rest of the world (for example China (Year 2), The Alpine Region (Year 5) and The Amazon (Year 6)). Locational knowledge, fieldwork and map work are woven throughout our Geography. Fieldwork opportunities are greatly amplified throughout bespoke local area units where children go out into the field to conduct observations, surveys, investigations and field sketches.

Geography at The Kennet Federation builds in cultural capital relevant to the pupils in our setting. We celebrate the diversity of people on the planet and encourage responsibility for the preservation of our local environment and teach how this can impact upon the wider world. To foster children’s curiosity about the world, interest and creativity, we are enthusiastic about Geography and encourage children to ask questions.

Impact:

By the time children leave The Kennet Federation, they will have a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.  They will be fluent in geographical enquiry applying questioning skills, presentation techniques and analytical techniques confidently and independently. Children will be able to reach conclusions, have an effective argument and present their findings demonstrating their geographical oracy skills; they will know that they can use their voice to express themselves and their opinions. Children will have an excellent knowledge of their local area and have a growing knowledge of the world beyond this and their place in it. They use their disciplinary and substantive knowledge learned to interpret the human and physical features of the world around them. Through the clear progression of disciplinary and substantive knowledge, pupils will remember more and, as a result, can do more, gaining more independence in using an enquiry approach and guiding their own learning.  Furthermore, all children will have a wider vocabulary of geographical terms. We believe that pupils will be equipped with life-long skills including map reading, OS symbols, grid references and compass points. This disciplinary knowledge will help pupils as they go exploring in the great wide world. As children leave The Kennet Federation they will be equipped with the disciplinary and substantive knowledge and understanding to confidently continue their geography learning journey at Key Stage 3.