Our Geography lead is Miss Salter.

Geography is a wonderful and engaging subject at St Margaret’s, as we intend for all children to increase their knowledge of other cultures, develop a variety of life skills and learn about local, regional and global environmental problems. Whilst geography develops pupils’ understanding of the world in which they live, through the study of place, space and environment, the subject also encourages children to learn through experience, particularly through practical and fieldwork activities.

Space, place, location, human and physical processes, environment, communities and settlements, spatial interactions, scale, movement and cultural understanding and diversity are the concepts that are introduced to all children during geography lessons at Briar Hill and are then revisited across key stage 2 at St Margaret's. Many of these concepts are also revisited across other areas of the curriculum too. For example, in geography we cover cultural understanding and diversity which is also taught across our British values and religious education curriculum.

Our text driven curriculum allows children to read in every subject and practice and apply their reading skills. Each half term at St Margaret’s every year group studies a text in English that can also be transferred over to either our history or geography lessons. For example, reading the text ‘Rhythm of the Rain’ in Year 4 English lessons closely links with that year groups Water Cycle topic in geography. This way the children can engage with the topic in more than one way.

Children will be taught geography using as much first-hand experience as possible. They will be taught key geographical skills as well as studying thematic areas such as; places and settlement. As St Margaret’s children move through year groups, they will become familiar with map skills, atlases and expand their key geographical vocabulary as we revisit our sequenced curriculum so that pupils can know more and remember more.

The curriculum for each year group is planned in thorough detail to ensure that we develop every child’s skills in locational and place knowledge, fieldwork and their knowledge in human and physical processes. This is done in key stage 2 by building upon the skills children have developed in previous years and teaching new skills.

For an example of the detailed planning that ensures the geography teaching across the whole school is interesting and valuable for the children, please find our intent and implementation plan on the school website.

In this subject, teachers often choose to block topics into whole day, immersive experiences for the children. This creates amazing and memorable opportunities for the children to learn and have fun whilst doing so! Children love making memories as they have lots of fun with their classmates during these days.

In geography at St Margaret’s, assessment is extremely valuable and important. Progress is monitored constantly by using effective questioning and feedback, quizzing, practice and retrieval. Written and high impact verbal feedback is given at the point of learning to children individually, as a group or as a whole class. This enables teachers to identify progress and plan for future learning. Based around key geography concepts and vocabulary, proof of progress activities also give all learners an opportunity to shine and show what they have learnt.

We are extremely proud of our broad, balanced and organised geography curriculum at St Margaret's and hope that the incredible experiences and opportunities that we give children in their lessons inspires them to have a life full of awe and wonder about the world.