At Farsley Springbank Primary School, our intent is that our teaching of geography will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and deep understanding of both the human and physical world around them. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place within it. We do this to ensure our children have the platform to become responsible local and global citizens.
The curriculum is designed to ensure that teaching equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth's key physical and human processes. Through developing curiosity about the world and encouraging independence in their thinking, pupils are supported to explore and question geographical concepts. As pupils progress through the school, their growing knowledge of the world helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments, while fostering determination to build and apply knowledge over time. Geographical knowledge and skills are progressive and are sequenced to provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earth's features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
We seek to inspire, in children, a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. In doing so, pupils are encouraged to take risk-taking in their learning by exploring unfamiliar places and ideas, to show respect for diverse cultures and environments, and to develop collaboration skills when discussing and investigating global issues. In turn, we hope that this exposure to different places, environments and cultures broadens their horizons whilst equipping them with the tools that they need for further education and beyond.
Implementation
Geography at Farsley Springbank is taught through Learning Challenges throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Some Learning Challenges have a cross-curricular link with history to enable children to gain both a geographical and historical understanding of the world, giving them a deeper, more rounded view of the world.
Existing knowledge is recapped and reviewed at the beginning of each Learning Challenge and subsequent lessons. This ensures that teaching is informed by children's starting points and encourages curiosity as pupils make connections between prior and new learning. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school's commitment to inclusion, encouraging risk-taking in a safe learning environment where pupils are supported to attempt challenging work. At the end of each Learning Challenge, key knowledge is reviewed by the children and used to answer the over-arching Learning Challenge question, promoting determination and reflective learning.
The school grounds and local area are fully utilised to develop the children's geographical skills, with many opportunities for learning outside the classroom. These experiences foster curiosity about the local environment and promote collaboration as pupils work together in practical, real-world contexts.
The geography Learning Challenges in EYFS and KS1 introduce children to basic map skills and provide them with a breadth of knowledge about the world, which is then deepened and extended throughout KS2. In KS1 the prime focus of the geography curriculum is to build their awareness of contrasting countries and cultures through the comparison of physical and human features, comparing these to their own lives and home environment. This encourages respect for differences and nurtures curiosity about the wider world. This is built upon in KS2, where children deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments, developing determination and independence in their geographical thinking.
Our geography curriculum helps develop and encourage our children to be local and global citizens. One of the key drivers of this is the school's links to United Nation's Rights Respecting program for which the school has earned Silver accreditation. Promoting respect for others and for the environment, while encouraging collaboration as pupils engage in shared discussion and action is key. As pupils study geography, they encounter different societies and cultures, which helps them recognise how nations rely on each other, fostering curiosity and independence in understanding global connections. It can inspire them to think about their own place in the world, their values and their rights and how to respect other people and the environment, while also encouraging risk-taking in thinking critically about global issues.
Here are some examples of our geography learning journeys.
Geography Enrichment
We bring geography to life through a variety of exciting trips and fieldwork experiences. Combined with our active learning approach, these opportunities allow students to experience geography in action and develop a deeper understanding of real-world around them, making their learning purposeful and memorable.