Geography at Hollywell

Our curriculum driver is INSPIRATION.

Through Geography at Hollywell, 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. Our aim is two-fold; firstly, to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources, and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes. Secondly, to develop an understanding of sustainability and an awareness of our environmental impact on the natural world.

Where possible, our curriculum encourages a hands on approach using a mixture of fieldwork, technology and research skills to enrich pupils' knowledge and understanding of their place in the world. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.

We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our Geography lessons. We believe in whole-class teaching methods and we combine these with enquiry-based research activities. We encourage children to ask as well as answer geographical questions. We offer them the opportunity to use a variety of data, such as maps, statistics, graphs, pictures, and aerial photographs, and we enable them to use IT in Geography lessons where this serves to enhance their learning. Children take part in role-play and discussions, and they present reports to the rest of the class. They engage in a wide variety of problem-solving activities.

Three main strands weave throughout our curriculum: Evolution, Environmental, and Legacies. These pathways build a schema to connect and support links in learning and aid long-term memory retention.  Geography forms the spine of the Environmental strand. It is an ‘interconnected subject’ that is taught through cross-curricular projects in every year group.

Within the KS1 and KS2 National Curriculum, Geography is a foundation subject, whereby the programme of study is divided into Locational Knowledge, Place Knowledge, Human and Physical Geography and Geographical Skills and Fieldwork. Each of these aspects are covered through our interconnected units of study that facilitate the development of a range of themes: 

Throughout the Geography Curriculum at Hollywell, all pupils will: 

• 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.
• Develop an understanding of sustainability, and our impact on the environment.

• Develop competency 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.

Geography at Hollywell is fun, hands on and will support our children in becoming curious, creative individuals. Our Geography curriculum is designed to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It also develops progressive knowledge which builds upon previous learning that will stay with children throughout their time at Hollywell and also to their further education and beyond.