“The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together”. Barack Obama

INTENT

Geography has never mattered more, as many opportunities and challenges that will arise during our pupil’s lifetime will be very much about Geography at personal, national and global scales.  What we intend pupils to learn in geography at Oakridge Parochial School reflects this throughout the curriculum.  In order for our pupils to be ready to “live life” in the future our intention is to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and people within it; to promote the children’s 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. As an Eco-School, we aspire for our children to understand and feel connected to the environment, as we believe this will help them to care for it in the future. Geography plays a key role in this.

IMPLEMENTATION

We teach the programmes of study outlined in the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression across a 4-year rolling programme.  This ensures that all skills and knowledge in each Key Stage are covered by all children throughout their years at Oakridge.  We take an enquiry approach to geography encouraging children to ask and answer their own questions.  It is important that children develop the skills of a geographer by fully immersing them in all areas of the subject. The local area and Forest School are fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practise. School trips and fieldwork are provided to give first hand experiences, which enhance children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality. The rural situation of our school provides a rich resource and plays a vital role in fostering an understanding of the relationship between human activity and the quality of the environment. Walks, guided visits, surveys and, in
Key Stage 2, residential visits to Copsegrove Farm all contribute towards a growing awareness and appreciation of the child’s environment. Where possible we link our geography to our Eco-Schools work to further build on the children’s understanding of the environment, both local and world-wide.

IMPACT 

The main impact and measure of our geography curriculum is to ensure that children at Oakridge Parochial are equipped with geographical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.  We want the children to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about geography, and to move forward with a genuine interest in the world around them.

By the time children leave Oakridge Parochial we aim that most children will:

Have a clear knowledge of where places are and what they are like.

Have a strong understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.

Have an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.

Be confident with geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.

Have the ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.

Have experience in fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.

Have a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.

Have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.

To have a strong understanding of the environmental challenges facing our world and to feel confident that they can have a ‘voice’ and make a difference.

Darwin Walk