Geography

“The study of Geography is 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

Through our Geography teaching at WJS, we aim to enable our children to learn not only about the world but also how it works, how it fits together, how and why it is changing and how to make a difference and become positive contributors to it. Our geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and investigate skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas. Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world and we aim to inspire in our children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people and develop an interest and understanding of diverse places, people and environments which will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Why is Geography important?

At WJS, Geography is important so that our children are able to build a sound understanding of human and physical geography topics, allowing them to develop an analytical and evaluative approach to understanding the human and physical processes of the world, through fieldwork, case studies and topical issues which operate the local, national and global scale.

Implementation- How is our Geography curriculum enriched at Westbury Junior School?

The geography curriculum is enriched by practical cross curricular experiences such as walks within the local area, orienteering and map reading. Lessons are planned to stimulate curiosity and develop understanding and knowledge, they are designed to be fun and engaging for all pupils and inclusive for all ages, starting points and abilities within the classes.

Impact- Ultimately our Geography is designed to:

– Raise our aspirations from the local to global level while becoming resilient and confident geographers.

– Enable our children to have a strong understanding about their locality and develop a sense of belonging and self- worth.

– Improve our vocabulary through carefully developing progressive vocabulary specific to geography.

– Motivate, empower and instill confidence in our children to have a voice to address local and global issues.