Moor Allerton Hall Primary School

MAHPs Geography Intent

Curiosity and Fascination

At Moor Allerton Hall we believe that Geography helps to provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. We therefore provide a range of wider experiences to make learning both memorable and exciting whilst nurturing our children’s creativity. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as understanding their place in it. The geography curriculum at Moor Allerton Hall enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas, and which can and are used to promote their learning muscles, love of learning and cultural development. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge, and skills. Through engaging lessons, ‘Big Bangs’ and educational trips, we seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people, which will remain with them for the rest of their lives, equipping them well for further education and beyond.

The geography curriculum at Moor Allerton Hall is designed to ensure that teaching equips children with key subject knowledge about diverse places, cultural backgrounds, and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the impacts of climate change. As children progress through the school, their growing knowledge about the world helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Children are guided to use geographical vocabulary confidently and accurately and use this as the basic building blocks to assist them in writing as a geographer.

Implementing Geography at MAHPs                                 

Professional Development of Teachers

Geography at Moor Allerton Hall is taught in the Autumn term but is consistently interconnected with other subjects throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic, and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically.

Subject coordinators knowledge is developed through geography specialised courses whereby learning is feedback and implemented across school. We also involve the use of outside visitors and speakers who are experts in particular fields. For example, geographical experts on climate change provided our teachers with knowledge and strategies to implement in their lessons.

Planning Geography

Teachers plan lessons for their class using our Progression of Knowledge Grids which have all the essential knowledge they will need for a specific topic. The progression document ensures the curriculum is covered and the skills/knowledge taught is progressive from year group to year group. Key vocabulary called is embedded through short term lesson plans (slide shows), through knowledge organisers and low stake quizzing. Knowledge organisers are created by teachers for the children, these outline knowledge (including vocabulary) all children need to master and apply in lessons. Low stake quizzes are used in lessons regularly to support learners’ ability to block learning and increase space in the working memory. This not only helps to make learning memorable but also engaging, interesting and fun for the children. Teachers also include topic specific reading in their lessons, which enables children to have a deeper understanding of their learning

Educational Trips and Activities                                    

At Moor Allerton Hall we provide a variety of opportunities for geography learning inside and outside the classroom. Every geography topic launches with a ‘Big bang’. Each year group plans engaging activities linked to their geography. These activities should be guided by the children’s interests and promote their love for learning and curiosity about the world.

Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional geography learning outside the classroom. At Moor Allerton Hall, the children have many opportunities to experience geography on educational visits. The children explore the local area including orienteering within the school grounds, conducting river studies at Bolton Abbey and complete comparative studies at Ingleborough Hall in Clapham. Children are encouraged to learn outdoors by using maps, compasses and creating field drawings of our school and local area.

Measuring the Impact of our Geography Curriculum 

How do we know our children are better geographers?

Within geography, we strive to create a supportive and collaborative ethos for learning by providing investigative and enquiry-based learning opportunities. Emphasis is placed on promoting children’s love for learning whilst using their learning muscles to progress their geographical knowledge.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

Teacher Assessments

Teachers will consistently but discreetly assess children throughout their lessons taught through oral and written work, low stake quizzes, outcomes from projects and the children’s oracy work. High levels of pupil enjoyment and engagement are also monitored to ensure learning is interesting and memorable for the children.

Pre and Post Assessments

Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each topic, as part of the Pre and Post assessment strategy. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points and that it takes account of children voice, incorporating children’s interests. Tasks are selected and designed to provide appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. At the end of each topic, post assessments are completed by the children and rigorously checked by the teacher.

Knowledge Development

From the pre and post assessment, the children are guided to their areas of development and are able to consolidate their understanding through topic related projects based on prior knowledge and assessment outcomes.

Pupil Voice

Informally interviewing the children about their learning enables us to discover whether learning knowledge has stuck and if they are enjoying the learning of their geography topic.

Our geography curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression of knowledge, skills, and vocabulary. Children will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects landscapes, environments, and climate change.

MAHPs Geography Curriculum Overview  

MAHPs Geography Medium Term Plans

Our medium term plans give our teachers indepth information to help plan out a sequence of skills and knowledge over a unit of work. These documents show what objectives they have to follow to get the correct coverage and helpful ideas for reading, activities and what type of writing they need to create.

The Geography progression document shows how vocabulary, skills and knowledge develops and progresses from Year 1 all the way to Year 6. This allows our teachers to ensure they are teaching the correct objectives at the right time and they are also able to revisit information to help the children activate their prior knowledge.

MAHPs Geography EYFS

MAHPs Geography Knowledge Organisers                  

Knowledge organisers are essential tool for the children, parents and class teachers at MAHPs. Most commonly, teachers make the knowledge organiser, to show what they want the children to learn about a topic.

Our Children can revise, review and assess their subject knowledge using their knowledge organisers. We want the children to regularly revisit the concepts to be learned. This helps students to transfer chunks of knowledge from their short-term memory to long-term memory.

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