Geography

"Geography explains the past, illuminates the present & prepares us for the future. What could be more important than that?" Michael Palin. 

Geography

Our school values in geography:

We show love by learning about, exploring and caring for the world that we live in. 

We show courage by being visiting new places and challenging others’ viewpoints.

We show unity by working in groups to research and found answers to our own investigations.

We show inspiration by encouraging others to look after our world. 

Our curriculum:

The aim of our geography curriculum is to develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. As their learning progresses through the school, children will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes as well as the varying uses of landscapes and environments. Our curriculum equips children with a diverse knowledge and understanding of people, places, natural, human and physical geography. Through their geography learning, children are encouraged to become inquisitive and independent learners. We aim to provoke children’s thinking, encouraging them to question the world around them and explore and research answers to have a greater understanding about the world and their role in it. Our curriculum sets children up to have the confidence to use their knowledge, learning and experiences to be active global citizens. 

Our curriculum helps children to:

• use what they already know to apply their knowledge to a different context
• think about alternative futures
• consider how they can make changes

In geography, our curriculum develops children’s:

• Substantive knowledge- locational, place, human and physical processes and procedural knowledge
• Disciplinary knowledge- how geography experts think

Key Concepts such as location, place, human and physical features, settlement and land use, weather and climate, fieldwork, mapping and directional skills are repeated throughout children’s learning journey.

Importance to Bishop Aldhelm’s children and local links:

We are fortunate to live in a geographically rich area. We have a SSSI area on site which is used by every year group. We have our local heath next door to the school which is used across the school for geography, science, BABA and PE lessons. We live close to award winning beaches. In order to experience these, KS2 classes attend the beach every year. We live close to the Purbecks, with key geographical locations such as Lulworth Cove. This is visited in Year 4 to share this important landscape and learning with the children. Every year group has an Outdoor Learning topic through BABA, reflecting our value on the importance of our outdoor space and children experiencing the nature around them and how to care and respect the environment.

We want children leaving Bishop Aldhelm’s to be able to:

• appreciate the world’s diversity
• research information and begin to understand how to tell whether sources are valid and reliable.
• explain how areas are different and how this impacts on people’s lives
• explain how the world is changing and what can be done to protect it.