What do we want children to learn?

At Ashbury, we aim to inspire children to have a curiosity and a fascination about the world in which we live. We teach children to appreciate the diversity in the world among people and environments, so that children will develop tolerance, respect and compassion towards their global community. Through geographical enquiry, which reflects the dynamic nature of our world and its people, children will develop their critical thinking and questioning skills. Our intention is to equip children with geographical skills, knowledge and understanding that extends beyond our village and the United Kingdom into our ever-changing world. We will motivate our children to appreciate and understand why they need to take a responsible and active part in contributing to and protecting our world.

Our geography curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:

- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places.

- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world.

- Are competent with the geographical skills needed to:

              - collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork

              - Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes and aerial photographs

              - Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

How do we teach Geography?

Geography is taught in planned and consistent units of work, to enable the achievement of a greater depth of knowledge. Our teaching units build upon the learning and skill development of previous years and previous units. Where appropriate, discussions of Geographical knowledge and skills will be used to support understanding in other areas of the curriculum. At each stage of their geography education, children will deepen their locational knowledge, place knowledge and understanding of human and physical geography.

Throughout their time at Ashbury, children will draw on their own experiences and curiosity to shape our geography curriculum. Children are active participants and investigators, applying their geographical skills to a range of setting. Digital technology is used to support this and provides the opportunity to explore areas of the world which are out of reach.

Through our planning, children begin by thinking about their personal geography: and will begin to experience the world beyond classrooms. As they move through the school, children will develop their geographical understanding further and look to their local area using fieldwork to build on their locational awareness. By Key Stage 2, the children bring together their previous learning, extending it further by ‘thinking geographically’ about our changing world. They become deeper critical thinkers, challenging different views and adopting new ones.

Our termly unit plans are based on National Curriculum statements and are developed to allow progression in each geography unit across the school. In each lesson, children will use geographical skills to help understand knowledge to a deeper level. Lessons will include learning about a range of geographical processes, investigations and enquiry skills that they children can use to understand the world around them. Prior geography learning will also be applied to other curriculum subjects, in order to help apply and deepen learning.

On leaving Ashbury with Compton Beauchamp CofE Primary School, children will:

Be curious and knowledgeable geographers that understand key aspects of our world and the world we may live in, in the future. Throughout our teaching units, children are encouraged to discuss and share their thoughts, opinions and insights with each other and the wider school community. Children are provided with an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen, encouraging a true respect for other cultures and the environment.

The children will be tolerant, collaborative learners who preserve and are ready to take their learning into the local and global community to apply their geographical understanding. Children will be inspired by the world we live in. They will have a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

Geography Curriculum Overview