Curriculum – Geography

Within Geography lessons here at Ox Close, logical sequences of learning allow the children to gather a well-balanced mix of core knowledge and fundamental skills that can be successfully applied across a range of topics during their years with us. The curriculum is broad and engaging, designed to acknowledge and enhance the interests of the students, as well as efficiently utilise the understanding of staff within the school with suitable opportunities for continuous professional development are numerous points.

Opportunities to formulate and present views and opinions are embedded within the curriculum, as well as site visits and the use of websites and available links which extend learning beyond the classroom, develop pupils who are articulate, thoughtful, respectful, well rounded global citizens. These experiences and sources help to create language rich classroom environments from the earliest of settings, which extend the vocabulary of children and support SEND children through the use of word banks and Teaching Assistant support. Additionally, these first-hand experiences are used to stimulate learning across the curriculum, for example by providing opportunities to produce contextualised extended pieces of writing. Ox Close develops a growth mindset amongst the pupils by challenging the children with more complex ideas in Upper Key Stage 2 Geography and encouraging them to apply their knowledge to the context of the wider world. This links with the school mantra of ‘Be The Best That You Can Be’.  A suitable balance between practical and written tasks gives the children the opportunity to develop this resilience and growth mindset through challenge and verbal and written feedback.

Continued emphasis on the importance of reading sees further opportunities to read related texts outside of formal lessons and links clearly to the embedded use of Accelerated Reader across the school. The use of enquiry-based learning is used to foster within each child a thirst for knowledge that broadens their worldly experiences and brings what seems far away into the classroom. Exposure to, and appreciation of, different locations, traditions and cultures works alongside Modern British Values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, in addition to tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Open-ended questioning and varied chances for collaborative learning is utilised to develop the children's confidence and self-esteem, encouraging the children to have well informed opinions, to view the world in a respectful manner and to be curious about the world in which they live.