Intent:
Our Geography curriculum is designed to develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Children investigate a range of places – both in Britain and abroad – to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. We are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area so that they can develop a real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special. We are also developing the children’s ability to apply geographical skills to enable to confidently communicate their findings and geographical understanding to a range of audiences.
Through high quality teaching, we develop the following essential characteristics of geographers: an excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in Britain and the wider world; a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected; an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary; fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills, as well as effective presentation techniques; the ability to reach clear conclusions and explain their findings; excellent fieldwork skills as well as other geographical aptitudes and techniques; the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment; a genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live on it.
Implementation:
As part of this planning process, teachers create long term planning which outlines knowledge (including vocabulary) all children must master and apply in lessons. The plans are designed to show clear progression of geographical skills suited to the age group. We are very keen to ensure that the children develop a good understanding of the geographical features of their own local area and have adapted our planning accordingly. At the end of each unit of work the children will take part in assessment activity, which allows teachers to identify their levels of understanding and plan next steps. We also ensure that their are regular pupil voice interviews, which allow staff to monitor children's opinions on Geography and also to ensure that they are retaining knowledge and applying what they have learnt in previous years to their new learning.
Impact:
Our Geography Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress. We want children at Greenhaugh to have a good understanding of areas covered in the Geography curriculum and to be aware of the significance of understanding the Geography of where they live and the wider world.
History Curriculum
Intent:
At Greenhaugh Primary School, we believe that high-quality history lessons inspire children to want to know more about the past and to think and act as Historians. We want our children to feel proud of their local history and to understand why it is special and the role it has played shaping our community.
We aim to develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them become Historians:
- An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods, including significant events in Britain’s past plus changes within living memory
- The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas confidently to a range of audiences
- The ability to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using historical evidence from a range of sources
- The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past by formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry
- A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make critical use of it to support their learning- identifying similarities and differences; being able to compare and contrast and recognise trends
- A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of historical aspects
- A developing sense of curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret the past in different ways.
Implementation:
We follow the National Curriculum to guide our subject content and deliver our topics over a two-year rolling curriculum. Each unit of work is planned taking into account children’s prior knowledge. A clear, sequence of lessons ensure progression, outlining the knowledge and vocabulary that all children must master. Enrichment activities – including trips and visitors to school – allow for hands-on learning and enhance the learning experience.
We follow and revisit the following historical strands to ensure progressions of knowledge and skills from EYFS to Lower KS2:
- Chronological Understanding
- Range and Depth of Historical Knowledge
- Historical Interpretation
- Historical Enquiry and Investigation
- Presenting, Organising and Communication
Where possible, links are made with other subjects across the curriculum, such as science, English or geography.
History displays around school are used to create enthusiasm and interest in the subject.
Impact:
Our History Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress.
In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes
- Children demonstrate their learning in age-appropriate ways – discussions, answering questions, drawings, presentations, drama/role-play
- A celebration of learning for each term which demonstrates progression across the school
- Pupils confidently talk about history and historical figures using appropriate vocabulary