At Joseph Hood Primary School we have a wide range of resources to support the teaching and learning of Geography. We use tools such as maps, compasses, statistics, graphs, pictures, aerial photographs and many interactive materials. We also use our school grounds and local environment for map work and field study, including visits to the Thames, Wimbledon Common and a residential trips to Sayers Croft and Stubbington in Y3 and Y4. We encourage the children to make cross curricular links, e.g. understanding why Roman settlements were built in certain locations.

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. Wherever possible, we involve the children in ‘real’ geographical activities, e.g. research of a local environmental problem or use of the Internet to investigate a current issue. We always encourage children to ask as well as answer geographical questions.

We use the New Curriculum as the basis for our planning in Geography. Some of the Geography units of work have been developed to suit our local context and make them more culturally relevant for the children. We also learn about the UK and countries around the world.

We ensure that there are opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit, and we plan progression into the schemes of work so that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.