At Westleigh Methodist Primary School our geography curriculum has been designed to ensure that all of our children have the knowledge and skills that are progressive and transferrable throughout their time at Westleigh and beyond. In geography we aim to equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. By doing this, students will develop a well-rounded knowledge of the our world, with the intention to improve every student’s cultural capital, understanding of the world around them and their own heritage. We take a thematic approach with our teaching of  geography and are able to make cross-curricular links with other subjects, such as English, science and art.

Our Nursery and Reception pupils develop their sense of place and time through the 'Understanding the World' strand of the EYFS. Their natural curiosity of the world around them is developed through exploration of the school grounds and of people, places and communities in the local area and the wider world. 

In Key Stages 1 and 2 we use the Chris Quigley ‘Essentials’ Milestones as a framework for planning and delivering our Geography Curriculum. Our curriculum is based around Quigley’s Milestone Skills which are taken from the National Curriculum. These skills are taught through creative themes and are re-visited and built upon each year. This enables pupils to master these specific geographical skills and to gain an in-depth understanding and knowledge.

Pupils’ learning within lessons is enlivened through the use of a range of artefacts, books, videos, photographs, OS maps, atlases, globes, compasses and digital mapping resources to enable pupils to investigate inquiries. Our pupils have access to knowledge organisers identifying key vocabulary. Our teachers carefully plan lessons which immerse pupils in rich vocabulary pertinent to the topic or concept they are learning. This ensures that pupils are able to communicate geographically with confidence. Pupils also participate in engaging activities such as orienteering games, first-hand observations of the weather and seasonal patterns and fieldwork in the school grounds and local area.

Pupils’ learning is further enriched through educational workshops and visits to local places of interest and educational establishments further afield. In our recent Ofsted report, it was stated that ‘teachers bring the curriculum to life through providing first-hand experiences’ and that our pupils ‘enjoy their many educational trips’. Examples of some recent experiences include:

• A visit to the Sea Life centre where pupils learnt about oceans and climates around the world including how oceans are being conserved and the issue of climate change.
• A visit to Knowsley Safari Park where pupils learnt about the Amazon Rainforest and how we can help to conserve rainforests.

Please find our Geography Curriculum Overview and Progression of Skills and Knowledge below: