Geography at Langley Mill Academy

Never stop exploring the world around you. It will make you feel alive.” – Christine Joy

Intent

Langley Mill Academy’s geography curriculum is taken from the National Curriculum and is designed to teach pupils geographical knowledge and skills; it will provide exciting opportunities to explore their surroundings and wider geographical issues through stimulating lessons. 

 The curriculum focuses on 3 key areas of learning:

• Geographical Knowledge, Location and Place
• Physical and Human Geography
• Geographical skills and field work 

Throughout these core aspects of the Geography Curriculum, children will develop their geographical thinking and engage in discussion: they will be encouraged to use key vocabulary to explain their thinking. Key geographical skills will be enhanced to collect, record, analyse and interpret geographical data when studying case studies and key topics.

Specific geographical vocabulary will be identified and discussed at the beginning of each lesson and recapped throughout the topic. It is essential for pupils to develop a wide range of geographical terminology and a rich understanding of the meaning of vocabulary to then apply it themselves in context.   

Key Knowledge Progression for our Geography Curriculum 

 Implementation

Lessons are taught discretely; however, where meaningful, links are made to other curriculum subjects. For example the study of Roman Pompeii follows a geography unit on Volcanoes. Clear planning or smartboard lesson slides will outline the specific geography objectives and overall coverage to be taught. The lesson structures will contain a main learning objective/enquiry question, three flashback questions to reactivate prior knowledge and a bank of key specific vocabulary, which will initially open up important discussions. Pupils will discuss and debate topics and ask thought-provoking questions, and ultimately, to think like a geographer in terms of the following:

• Geographical context and understanding.
•  Geographical enquiry and fieldwork.
•  Geographical analysis to compare and contrast. 

Staff will strive to not only instil an understanding of the natural environment but also a critical appreciation of it. This includes: awareness of change and asking the big questions which may include elements of awe and wonder. For example: How did those mountains get there?

Children will investigate a range of places in their local area and the wider world – discussing how areas have changed and make relevant comparisons. When introduced to a new place, children will locate it on a globe, a world map, the country / region it is in. This is useful as it builds a clear picture of where that place is relation to other places and themselves within the local area.

Within our geography curriculum, effective teaching and important geographical skills are utilised. For example: map reading, analysing photographs and sketches, undertaking fieldwork and completing outdoor learning. These are in fact life skills which, once mastered, will help pupils live a fulfilling and successful life.

Impact

By the end of their primary education at Langley Mill Academy, our learners will have gained a rich body of geographical knowledge and a wide range of transferable skills, which they can apply to other subjects and contexts.  As children develop their geographical skills and awareness, we will be providing them with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Langley Mill so that they can develop of real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special. We also aspire for children to leave Langley Mill Academy being able to understand, debate and discuss global environmental issues such as climate change and natural disasters. They will be inquisitive, enthusiastic young learners who seek to make a personal difference in protecting and shaping the world we share. 

The impact of the curriculum will be judged by how well the pupils can remember, understand and apply the core knowledge they have learned.  Teachers can use a range of assessment tools to monitor pupil progress, for example: Starter recall quizzes, assessment for learning, structured discussion activities, independent work completely, challenge tasks, end-of-topic multiple choice quizzes, and pupil voice.

 Our Geography Lead is Miss Deo