Geography

At Bracken Leas Primary School, we aim to deliver a high-quality enquiry-based Geography curriculum which should motivate and inspire pupils with a curiosity and fascination with the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.  We have carefully designed a curriculum which has a coherent, progressive and rigorous learning programme which will engage and motivate children and encourage them to see the world through the eyes of young geographers.  We endeavour for children to see the relevance of Geography in the world around us and explore the range of diversity. Geography helps children to know where they are and to know what is there, giving them a sense of location. Geography develops children's understanding of the environment, the natural world, modified landscapes and the social environments. This is particularly relevant today in our ever-changing world and our impact on the environment especially with regards to global warming.

We have sought out the most meaning full and relevant aspects of the national curriculum in an attempt to explore Geography in depth rather than attempting a fully comprehensive coverage at the expense of subject vigour and the development of core concepts and skills. Building a curriculum based on subject outcomes rather than just content. We place a large emphasis on geographical enquiry which runs as a common thread throughout our Geography curriculum. This is a process which builds on the excellent start made in EYFS and which treats the children as active learners rather than passive vessels to be filled with knowledge.  In our approach we will pose key questions and enable children to go on a learning journey to answer the question. Important subject knowledge is implicit in each enquiry but is balanced with adequate time and opportunity for pupils to master key subject skills and outcomes by ‘doing less better’.  This ensures progression in both the complexities of content and in terms of pupils applying knowledge to achieve higher order outcomes as they move through the curriculum. The lessons are intended to improve children’s geographical vocabulary, map skills and geographical facts and provide opportunities for consolidation, challenge and variety to ensure interest and progress in the subject.

Each enquiry will use a key question as a starting point which will be introduced through, maps, images, video clips, letters, accounts and even puzzles to engage them with the beginning of their learning journey. This will then develop into ancillary questions and content focus in each lesson. At Key Stage One many of these questions will be more tightly defined ‘Who’, ‘What’ and ‘Where’ questions but at Key Stage Two more open-ended with an emphasis on ‘Why’ and ‘How’.  Appropriate and specialised geographical vocabulary will be introduced and consolidated at each stage and to this end each enquiry will include a comprehensive list of key subject vocabulary which will develop as each investigation unfolds.  The children will interpret and analyse evidence to enable them to evaluate, draw conclusions and communicate their findings and will ultimately answer the key question.  The enquiries will offer a range of opportunities for investigating places around the world as well as physical and human processes. The lessons are intended to improve children’s geographical vocabulary, fieldwork, map skills and geographical facts and provide opportunities for consolidation, challenge and variety to ensure interest and progress in the subject.  During this process the children will be encouraged to generate further questions to investigate.  It will identify potential misconceptions and take measures to address them.

At Bracken Leas Primary School children will develop a deep understanding and interest in the world. The content allows for a broader, deeper understanding of the four areas of Geography identified in the curriculum. It will develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places and understanding of the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, along with how they bring about variation and change over time. Pupils will have a holistic appreciation of the world including an understanding of concepts such as: diversity, community, and sustainability. Pupils will have an acceptance and appreciation of a range of cultures and understand how life is different and how it is similar in different places. At Bracken Leas, we want our learners to celebrate diversity and have an appreciation for the cultures across the world, in the UK and our local area. We want our learners to become resourceful, confident, and aspirational. We aim to achieve this through providing opportunities for children to use high quality resources, to research, to ask questions and to actively partake in outdoor learning and field work. Pupils will have an understanding of their impact on the world and how we can all make steps to protect the environment, knowing what they can do to take care and take responsibility for the world we live in and the impact this can have on our futures. Children at Bracken Leas will know that they are all capable of making a difference in the world.

BLPS Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression