West Bridgford Infant School Geography Vision

We want our children to be enthusiastic about Geography and to play an active part in developing an understanding of the world around them and a respect for other cultures that are significantly different to their own. We want them to become inquisitive and develop a caring attitude towards others, their own environment as well as that of the wider world around them. We want to make Geography relevant to the lives of our children; we want them to become investigators of geographical issues as they progress through into Key Stage 2 so they are equipped with geographical skills and knowledge.  

Intent

At West Bridgford Infant School we teach a knowledge-based curriculum which encourages children to discover and explore. Geography is sequentially planned so that prior learning is continually built upon.  Our planning follows the Early Years Statutory Framework, enhanced by Development Matters in the Early Years, as well as the National Curriculum in KS1. Geography is blocked in topic-based themes and meaningful links are made to other curriculum areas where appropriate to ensure it is fully inclusive to every child. This is underpinned by our Shine Brightly themes.

Implementation

At West Bridgford Infant School, Geography is taught in termly blocked topics, direct teaching is used to introduce, model and guide new learning and to scaffold new knowledge being taught. This is followed by focused guided group work with a Teacher. This means misconceptions can be identified and addressed quickly and ongoing assessment can occur. Alongside this, our continuous provision approach allows the children to practise, apply and embed their new learning in a range of practical independent activities. In addition, it requires them to communicate their findings in different ways, including using the computer and through drawing and writing and to develop their independence and problem-solving skills. Our children will experience looking at maps, atlases and encounter stories that have a geographical content. Trips and visiting experts enhance their learning experiences.

Geography Impact

We ensure that children at West Bridgford Infant School are equipped with geographical knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 2. Within Geography, we strive to instil an appreciation and enjoyment of the world around them to enrich the children's learning experience.

We measure the impact of our curriculum in the following ways -

Pupil discussions about their work, what they have learnt and how they can improve.

Continual marking and assessment of the children's work to inform future planning.

Work scrutiny - by the subject leader in order to monitor the content of teaching

and quality of work.

Children are given quizzes, early morning activities and opportunities to discuss past topics to assess and embed their learning.

At the end of EYFS, pupils are assessed against the ELG's.

Pupil progress and attainment is monitored closely termly and used to inform teaching, before being shared between year groups upon transition.