History

Geography

Intent

At Brushwood we aim to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer. We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings.

Our children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it and 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. We aim to build an awareness of how Geography shapes our lives at multiple scales and over time. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them.

It is our intention that children build:

• A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.
• Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
• The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.
• A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.
• A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary.

Implementation

Our curriculum is based on the Kapow Primary scheme which has a clear progression of skills and knowledge within four key strands across each year group. These include: Locational knowledge, Place knowledge, Human and physical geography, and Geographical skills and fieldwork.

The Kapow scheme follows a spiral curriculum with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Locational knowledge is reviewed in each unit to coincide with our belief that this will consolidate children’s understanding of key concepts, such as scale and place, in Geography.

Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their Geography skills to other areas of learning. Enquiry questions form the basis for each unit, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of geographical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer these questions. In attempting to answer them, children learn how to collect, interpret and present data using geographical methodologies and make informed decisions by applying their geographical knowledge. Each unit contains elements of geographical skills and fieldwork to ensure that fieldwork skills are practised as often as possible. Developing fieldwork skills within the school environment and revisiting them in multiple units enables pupils to consolidate their understanding of various methods.

Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical hands-on, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Teachers are also able to adapt their teaching to ensure that all pupils can access learning, and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are also available if required.

At Brushwood, we aim to enrich children’s experiences further with opportunities for an enriched curriculum with external visitors and themed activities such as Earth Day.

Impact

Pupil progress is measured through the following methods:

• Assessing children's understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after a unit is taught

• Summative assessment of pupil discussions about their learning

• Images and videos of the children's practical learning

• Interviewing the children about their learning (pupil voice)

• Moderation in staff meetings where books are scrutinised and there is an opportunity for dialogue between teachers to understand their class's work

• Marking of written work

• Subject leader monitoring through lesson drop ins, teacher voice, action plans and governor reports

Year 4 Fieldwork

Year 4 explored human impact in a woodland environment. Whilst in the woods, they saw evidence of humans in the form of swings and litter. They surveyed members of the public using the environment for dog walking to find out what benefits the area provides and also looked at the types of wildlife present in this environment. The children then followed up their research in class, producing reports and drawings to represent their findings.

Year 6 Field work on impact of population on Chesham March 2024

In Year 6 the children have been studying population as part of their geography work. They have investigated birth and death rates, migration and why people move due to push and pull factors. They investigated the impact of a growing population on climate change and finished the topic investigating the impact od population on Chesham. They compared a relatively quiet area (Manor Way) with the town centre.

Having carried out a risk assessment, the children planned the route with OS map and decided what to investigate. In both places, the children collected information on noise levels, number and types of vehicles, amount of litter and even interviewed members of the public to guage their views. 

The children then recorded the data and on returning to school, wrote up their findings in a report to present to the class.

A huge thank you to the parents that supported us on the trip and joined in the activities.

Earth Day 2024

Brushwood are proud to have celebrated Earth Day on Monday April 22nd. This annual event, supported in over 190 countries, is a celebration to remind us all of the importance of environment conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together to take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. After an assembly in the morning, the children took part in various events in class aiming to raise awareness, inspire change and foster a deeper connection with nature. The theme this year was plastic v planet. Earthday.org has an unwavering commitment to reduce production of plastic by 60% by 2040 for the sake of our planet's health.

The children learned about the history of plastic production and how every bit of plastic ever produced is still on our planet. Did you know it takes over 500 years for a plastic bottle to decompose? They discussed single use plastic and how it is disposed of in land fill as well as its pollution of our oceans, ending up in our food chain and killing wildlife. Other activities included understanding 'fast fashion', food miles and the effect of meat production on greenhouse gases. The eco council have been very strict at lunchtimes patrolling empty classrooms to ensure lights and interactive boards had been switched off, issuing red cards to unsuspecting teachers! The children are aware of the effects of climate change and the part everyone of us has to play in protecting our planet for future generations. These positive actions must be daily though, not just reserved for Earth Day.