At Half Acres Academy, the national curriculum is taught through a theme based approach. Where possible, opportunities for cross curricular links are highlighted giving a meaningful context for the learning. Teachers make it explicit to children that they are learning geography skills and that they are being âGeographersâ. Wherever possible, we aim to build upon the childâs âPersonal Geographyâ by developing geographical skills, understanding and knowledge through studying places and themes.
Our curriculum is based on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and vocabulary with a focus on children knowing more and remembering more. With clear progression across year groups, as demonstrated in the progression model, this allows children to revisit and recap prior learning in order to embed skills and knowledge. This allows children by the end of year 6 to have the cultural capital to be successful in Geography in secondary school.
In our Geography lessons, you will see whole class teaching, group work and independent work. Children practise their skills (including map skills to develop a sense of place) and are supported through modelling and scaffold’s. Teaching encourages children to use subject specific vocabulary through discussion, research and reading and is displayed in the learning environment.
At the beginning of a new a geography unit, a knowledge organiser is sent home to parents/guardians. These documents feature subject specific vocabulary and key knowledge and facts that the children will be learning. The children take part in knowledge organiser quizzes to test what they know and remember. In addition to this, each classroom features a working wall that has key vocabulary that the children can refer to. The teacher adds to this each lesson and creates a learning journey that the children can use as scaffolds in their learning.
The childrenâs knowledge and understanding are assessed against the 2014 National Curriculum statements for Geography. This is both ongoing, to inform future planning, and summative to share with staff, leaders and parents. This ensures the pitch of lessons is well matched to need and that, by the end of each key stage, required content within the National Curriculum is adequately covered to prepare pupils for the next phase.
The quality of work in childrenâs books demonstrates appropriate pitch and challenge. It is evident that childrenâs knowledge has increased compared to previous years. Children are now able to apply the knowledge and beginning to think and work like âgeographers.â
Children have a sense of place with locational knowledge of the world, its environment and how human and physical factors lead to changes over time. Through pupil voice, it is evident that children are beginning to know more and remember more and are able to articulate key vocabulary appropriately.
