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Geography & History

Geography at Warren

At Warren Primary Academy, we believe that every child should be provided with opportunities to foster curiosity about the world close around them, and the wider world. Children will be given knowledge and skills to explore and compare different cultures, and be able to celebrate, respect, and champion their diversity through the curriculum they are taught. Our pupils progressively develop knowledge of where places are and what they are like, and have an understanding of the ways in which places are interconnected, with the knowledge that they have the potential to travel to these places in the future. Through memorable teaching and learning experiences, and wider opportunities, children at Warren develop an excitement about Geography, and can confidently use technical vocabulary when discussing their learning. Our children are provided with the potential to make a difference through their learning, and an exposure to a wider range of global issues.

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
  • understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
  • are competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes; interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS); communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

Implementation

Geography lessons will be sequenced by class teachers in their planning to continue building on key knowledge, both within the current unit being taught, and on previous geography knowledge. Children have the opportunity to use different resources to lead their own learning, and will be taught how to use each one. These include, but are not limited to: digital maps through iPads, computers etc., atlases and OS maps. Fieldwork opportunities will be frequent, whether this is around school, or exploring the local area. All children will be provided with the opportunity to have their learning enriched through out of school visits. Children in KS1 and KS2 develop the knowledge of the four national curriculum areas; locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography and geographical skills and fieldwork. In EYFS, teachers will ensure they meet requirements of Development Matters. The classroom environment will excite children about their learning in geography, and celebrate what they are learning and have achieved. Geography is inclusive to every child, and is adapted to meet every child’s need. Resources will be differentiated and varied, in order to meet the needs of every child, allowing them to achieve their potential.

A geography lesson at Warren includes:

  • A power up – a review of a previous learning, either from the current unit or from a previous unit in any previous year group.
  • Sharing of the sequence of learning with the children, so they know where they are going.
  • Resources will be used to foster children’s curiosity.
  • Teachers supporting children in all areas of the lesson.

Throughout their time at Warren, children will complete learning through 6 key concepts: Place and space, scale, change and sustainability, environment, cultural understanding and diversity, and interconnection.

History at Warren

At Warren Primary Academy, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn from a curriculum about a broad range of historical concepts and events. History should encourage children to develop a love of learning about the past, and explore key events in all parts of world history. Children will be a taught a bespoke history curriculum that champions everyone’s history, giving them the opportunity to respect and understand everyone’s culture and differences. Teachers show children how to use historical evidence to search for answers, showing them the potential roles they may have as historians in the future, and providing them with the enquiry skills to be able to do so. Pupils at Warren develop a passion for history through creative, engaging and exciting lessons, which we aim to last forever.

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

  • Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
  • Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
  • Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed History – key stages 1 and 2.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales

Units of History work will be carefully planned and sequenced by teachers, in order to secure the children’s chronological understanding of the period of time being studied. Children will also begin to know where the period of time being studied fits in, when looking at all periods of history, from the dinosaurs to modern day. The History curriculum is delivered through a wide range of approaches and experiences. The children’s learning in enriched through out of school visits, and visitors in school, for most areas of the History curriculum. Prior knowledge is retrieved regularly through ‘Power ups’ at the beginning of each lesson, where they practice previous learning. Teachers impart knowledge where necessary, but allow children time to practice a wide range of enquiry skills using a range of research methods. Children will become historians in their lessons, and take ownership of their own learning, further developing a love for learning about the past.

Here you can find more about the disciplinary knowledge taught across the curriculum in History:

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