Selattyn C of E Primary School

Intent

At Selattyn CE Primary, we aim to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world, learning to think like geographers. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings. Our scheme is based on the Kapow scheme, and supplemented by other resources and custom units of work. Through our scheme of work, we aim to build an awareness of how geography shapes our lives at all levels and over time. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them. We endeavour to inspire, broaden and promote our pupils’ love of geography, igniting their natural curiosity and enabling them to express feelings and responses as they learn about the richness of their locality, the British Isles and the world beyond.

 

In 2023/24, Selattyn CE Primary has embraced the beginnings of a revision to our Geography Curriculum. We have adopted the Kapow Geography scheme in the main because we feel it offers has a strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge. Children are taught to think critically, ask perceptive questions and analyse evidence. In each class, children are given the opportunity to develop fieldwork skills. Children are enabled to develop a deep interest and knowledge of their own locality and how it differs from other areas of the world. The children develop an awareness of environmental issues, humans’ impact on the planet and their responsibilities as citizens of the world. 

At Selattyn CE Primary, our environment makes an important and valued contribution to our lives every day; it is therefore imperative that our Geography curriculum enables our pupils to learn about and celebrate the geographical uniqueness of our local area within our lessons. We study our local environment and use our locality to enhance the children’s awareness of the relevance of geography to their lives.  

 

The Kapow scheme is written by experts in their field. It is designed to give pupils every opportunity to meet the National curriculum end of key stage attainment targets. The aims for each unit align with those in the national curriculum.

 

The scheme encourages: 

• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge. 

• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence. 

• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group. 

• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.

• A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary

Implementation

The National curriculum organises the geography attainment targets under four subheadings or strands:

• Locational knowledge

• Place knowledge 

• Human and physical geography

• Geographical skills and fieldwork
   

Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within these four strands across each year group.

The spiral model is arranged to support teaching in mixed age classes. The content and the sequencing of topics and themes ensures that our curriculum offers the prospect of long-term learning for all children. Revisits are planned for with increasing complexity; knowledge is thus embedded over time, and children have opportunities to revisit and deepen their understanding. Locational knowledge, in particular, is reviewed in each unit to consolidate children’s understanding of key concepts, such as scale and place, in Geography.

We use a rolling programme to ensure that our children cover all aspects of the geography curriculum within the mixed age class structure of our school. We alternate between geography and history on a half-termly basis. Therefore, three units of each are taught during the year.

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EARLY YEARS:

The two EYFS units provide a solid foundation of geographical skills, knowledge and enquiry for pupils to work towards the ‘Understanding the world’ Development matters statements and Early learning goals. Pupils are taught in a variety of ways through adult-led and supported tasks and child-initiated learning in provision areas. Practitioners take into account the Characteristics of Effective Learning when they are planning, leading or supporting learning. The EYFS curriculum has been designed to cover foundational knowledge that will support them in their further geography learning in KS1 and KS2.

Regular observations and assessments of learning take place throughout the year and contribute to a summative assessment at the end of EYFS.

 

KEY STAGE 1 AND 2:

Kapow Primary’s Geography curriculum uses enquiry questions to form the basis for the Key stage 1 and 2 units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions. The questions have been designed to be open-ended with no preconceived answers and therefore they are genuinely purposeful and engage pupils in generating a real change. In attempting to answer them, children learn how to collect, interpret and represent data using geographical methodologies and make informed decisions by applying their geographical knowledge.

 

Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible. Kapow Primary units follow an enquiry cycle that maps out the fieldwork process of question, observe, measure, record, and present, to reflect the elements mentioned in the National curriculum. 

 

We are developing our use of Knowledge Organisers to support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge and vocabulary.

Observational assessments take place during the geography lessons and at the end of the unit. The assessments contribute to a summative judgement at the end of the year.

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Impact

By using an enquiry-led approach, children are involved in dialogue about their learning. They take part in regular discussions and are thus able to develop their ability to talk confidently about their own learning journey, improve their metacognitive skills and have a growing ownership of their understanding.

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Monitoring Progress: In addition to formative and summative assessment, the subject lead carries out lesson monitoring, book scrutiny, pupil voice, learning walks, and collaborates with a link governor. Teacher discussions around good practice and improvement, and involvement with local consortium schools, develop teaching. In addition, Cluster moderation validates judgements on standards and progress.

After implementing Kapow Primary geography, pupils should leave Selattyn Primary school equipped with a range of skills and knowledge to enable them to study geography with confidence at Key stage 3 and beyond.We hope to shape children’s curiosity with respect and appreciation for the environment alongside an understanding of the interconnection between the human and the physical nature of the world. 

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary geography scheme of work is that children will: 

• Compare and contrast human and physical features to describe and understand similarities and differences between various places in the UK, Europe and the Americas. 

• Name, locate and understand where and why the physical elements of our world are located and how they interact, including processes over time relating to climate, biomes, natural disasters and the water cycle. 

• Understand how humans use the land for economic and trading purposes, including how the distribution of natural resources has shaped this. 

• Develop an appreciation for how humans are impacted by and have evolved around the physical geography surrounding them and how humans have had an impact on the environment, both positive and negative.  

• Develop a sense of location and place around the UK and some areas of the wider world using the eight-points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys on maps, globes, atlases, aerial photographs and digital mapping.

• Identify and understand how various elements of our globe create positioning, including latitude, longitude, the hemispheres, the tropics and how time zones work, including night and day.  

• Present and answer their own geographical enquiries using planned and  

• specifically chosen methodologies, collected data and digital technologies. 

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for geography.