Geography

Pinner Wood uses the Geography Primary National Curriculum to underpin a strong, core curriculum. The children are provided with knowledge about human and natural environments, people, places and resources. They will develop a secure knowledge of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Their growing knowledge about the world will help deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and the formation and use of landscapes and environments.

Our curriculum aims to provide opportunities of learning that will:-

Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places
Promote an understanding of the processes that produce key physical and human geographical features of the world
Develop competence in the geographical skills needed to collect, analyse and communicate data gathered through fieldwork
Encourage the communication of geographical information through maps, diagrams, aeriall photographs and writing at length

We want Pinner Wood children to be future, responsible world citizens and Geography gives us a way to do this. Children will learn the Global Goals and through the key ideals will understand how they can take action to make a difference to their future.

In each unit we will explore the idea of ‘legacy’ and how they can use their knowledge to have an impact e.g. when learning about rivers we will think about how we can save water or when learning about the rainforest, they will understand how man’s actions are destroying habitats.

Geography at Pinner Wood is delivered in half termly blocks throughout the year, allowing for children to achieve depth in their learning. Key knowledge and skills of each unit of work are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

A ‘big’ key question provides the stimulus for the start of a unit of work and subsequent lessons are derived from associated key questions that build knowledge and skills sequentially. This will be launched though a ‘stunning start’ to immerse children in the topic content and get them thirsty to learn more. The finale will be a ‘show casing’ ending where the children create a piece that brings together their knowledge of the unit in a purposeful way. Work is presented in a class project learning book and also on display in each classroom. This learning journey evolves throughout the topic and provides further opportunities for children to build up a secure knowledge of previous learning.

Cross curricular outcomes in geography are specifically planned for and these are indicated on the whole school Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression Map. The Geography provision is also well resourced and specific resources are mapped to specific year groups and topics to support effective teaching and learning. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.

Pinner Wood follows the Primary National Curriculum for Geography. Children are taught both human and physical geography.

They will explore places around the world and what it is like to live there. They will make comparisons with their locality and look at what is similar and different.

They will study their locality in detail and understand what it is like to live in Pinner and the physical and human features.

We want Pinner Wood children to be future, responsible world citizens and Geography gives us a way to do this. Children will learn the Global Goals and through the topics understand how they can take action to make a difference to their future.

How is it taught?

Geography at Pinner Wood is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and theses are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

Geography at Pinner Wood is taught through key questions and a project learning approach. Children are presented with an overarching key question for a unit of work. This will be launched though a ‘stunning start’ to immerse children in the topic content and get them thirsty to learn more.

Each subsequent lesson starts with a sub-question through which children will develop their knowledge and skills. The finale will be a ‘show stopping’ ending where the children create a piece that brings together their knowledge of the unit in a ‘real-life’ purposeful way

In every year group there is a skills unit, which will involve them looking a maps and naming continents and countries, as well as learning mapping skills.