Geography Curriculum Statement   

Our School Vision:  

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:25)

Bishop Chavasse Church of England School Policies are all underpinned by our school parable ‘The Wise and the Foolish Builder.’

Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. As a church school we believe that, like the wise man, those who are guided by the word of God in the Bible and trust in Him will become wise, compassionate and honest; be empowered to weather all storms, help one another flourish and make a difference in the world.

Bishop Chavasse School knows and values every wonderfully and uniquely created child and adult. Supported by faith, we establish firm foundations for our children to become resilient, curious, confident, community minded courageous advocates who flourish and thrive. We build on and support the development of the whole person in a safe, happy Christian environment. We inspire everyone to fulfil their potential through our high expectations and a broad, creative and inspirational curriculum; rich in opportunity to develop culture capital, have fun and partake in adventures. Everyone will develop an everlasting love of learning. Our dedicated, passionate staff, supported by parents, Governors and the Tenax Schools Trust are committed to nurturing our community to achieve excellence together in an environment where everyone is wise, trustworthy and compassionate. Pupils will make everlasting friendships and exciting life-long memories.

School core values:

• Wisdom
• Compassion
• Honesty

We aim to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice, promoting Christian values through the experience we offer to all of our pupils.

Geography Whole School Overview

Intent 

At Bishop Chavasse C of E Primary School we believe that Geography develops a curiosity and fascination with the world and its’ people which will remain with our children for the rest of their lives, supporting them to become courageous advocates, developing their kindness and empathy and allowing them to make a positive contribution to the world around them. Geography provokes and provides answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world and develops a greater understanding and knowledge of the world and their place in it. The geography curriculum at Bishop Chavasse enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and develop cultural capital, allowing them to become confident and successful individuals. 

At Bishop Chavasse, children have a good understanding of what Geography is and what Geographers do. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. Through their fieldwork, children will develop their skills and ability to collect, interpret and analyse data and geographical information. Children will learn how to shape geographical enquiries and understand why these matter for themselves and others. In doing these things, pupils are being introduced to the subject of geography as a long tradition of enquiry, argument and debate whilst also promoting an interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Every time pupils are reminded of how geographers are collaborating to establish the serious extent of climate change, both teachers and pupils are humbled and challenged. The curriculum is designed to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, throughout their time at Bishop Chavasse and also to their further education and beyond. 

Implementation 

In studying geography as a discipline, pupils will: 

• collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes; 

• interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and geographical information systems 

We currently use resources created by Steve Mastin to teach a range of geographical curriculum areas, building year-on-year in a sequenced and coherent manner. Where possible, these have been linked to wider learning in other curriculum areas, particularly with English. The key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic have been mapped out with consideration given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. At the beginning of each unit, children’s interest and curiosity is sparked through a Stunning Start and their learning is celebrated at the end of each unit with a Fabulous Finale. Teachers are encouraged to bring Geography to life through their teaching and planned activities, and lessons are relevant and take account of children’s different starting points. Our aim, is that consideration is given to how a greater depth of knowledge will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. Cross curricular outcomes in geography are specifically planned for, with strong links between geography and English lessons identified, planned for and utilised.  

The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. At Bishop Chavasse, students across all year groups enjoy regular and dedicated opportunities to explore and discover our natural world through our outdoor learning provision. These sessions are carefully designed to integrate various aspects of the Geography curriculum such as the weather, climate and land as well as sessions using the outdoor environment to teach pupils to read and devise simple maps. Through these experiences, children use essential geographical vocabulary, discussing both the physical and human features of our local surroundings as well as using locational and directional language. Learning geography outdoors helps students grasp the concept that geography exists everywhere around us, emphasizing the subject's significant role in comprehending our world and nurturing a sense of responsibility towards its protection. 

Geography is celebrated across the school through events such as Earth Day, where children learn about the effects of plastic on our planet and think about what we can do to help, as well as Refugee Week, which teaches about and celebrates the impact of immigration on the UK and the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. We have also introduced ‘Language of the Month’, where children consider the origins of the languages spoken across the school, and ‘Tastes of the World’, in which they learn the origins of dishes prepared and contributed by the school community in a celebration of the school community’s cultural diversity.