At Little Waltham C.E.V.A. Primary School, we are GEOGRAPHERS! We want our children to love every aspect of geography! Our aim is that, through the teaching of Geography at Little Waltham, we provide opportunities for exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. In Geography, the children in our school will learn the skills of understanding locational knowledge; how and where people fit into its overall structure. We aim for children to become passionate and knowledgeable about our local community and beyond, by learning through experiences in practical and fieldwork activities and exploring our wonderful village and surrounding areas.

At Little Waltham, Geography is taught for half a term every term for one hour per week. The subject is explicitly taught in years 1 to 6 and the units allow children to focus on developing their knowledge and skills, studying each topic in depth.

• Our Geography curriculum is designed so that children start with ‘themselves’, their school and local area before working out to areas or regions of the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. We have developed a progression of skills with each year group, which enables pupils to build on and develop their knowledge and skills each year.  Cross-curricular links are planned for, with other subjects such as Maths, Writing and Computing being incorporated within geography lessons and the curriculum.
• Location knowledge, fieldwork and map work are woven through the Geography topics.  Effective use of educational visits, local fieldwork and visitors are planned, to enrich and enhance the children’s learning experiences within the Geography curriculum.  Fieldwork opportunities are planned to ensure children can conduct observations, surveys, investigations and field sketches. The use of maps and compasses enhances their experiences and skills.
• At the start of each unit children will review previous learning and will have the opportunity to share what they already know about a current topic.  In order to support children in their ability to know more and remember more, there are opportunities to review the learning that has taken place in previous units as well as previous lessons.
• In geography lessons, children are given clear guidance in order to achieve the Learning Intention. Effective modelling by teachers ensures that children are able to achieve their learning intention, with misconceptions addressed within it.
• Teachers use effective Assessment for Learning at different points in each lesson to ensure misconceptions are highlighted and addressed.  Pupils are regularly given the opportunity for Self or Peer Assessment, which will then be used to inform planning, preparation and address misconceptions within that lesson, or for the next lesson.
• Educational displays that answer key questions help to create a rich learning environment for each Geography focus.

The impact of our geography curriculum will lead to good progress over time across both key stages relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. Our Geography curriculum enables our children to be enthusiastic Geography learners, evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice and their work.  Upon leaving Little Waltham Primary School children will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to confidently continue their geography learning journey with enthusiasm and enjoyment.