Geography

Proud to be … forever Pilgrim

I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.”

(John 10:10)

God didn't build canals - He created rivers.

Learners at the Pilgrim School are resilient, ready to face challenges and to make the most of every opportunity.

Children leave The Pilgrim School knowing about their local area, giving them a positive sense of identity.

They are equipped to understand how their own environment is linked with the rest of the world.

They are building a life-long love of the world around them, and a passion for exploring their world.

This learning will give them passion for looking after their environment, making a positive difference to future generations.

Our compassion and understanding of the world makes us who we are....we are Pilgrim!

We see our learning at The Pilgrim School as a journey, which links perfectly with our teaching of Geography.

Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere. (Emma Smith)

Luckily, at The Pilgrim School we are resilient learners who persevere with new things!

The school is situated near the River Medway, which makes this quotation key to our learning of Geography.

Our understanding of who we are, and how we live is developed further through our teaching of the subject.

Please click below to see our Geography policy.

Geography policy

Intent

The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together." (Barack Obama)

We enable our children to have an understanding of the world which helps them to empathise beyond their own experience. We also want them to feel a sense of belonging, which is why we like to learn about our local environment.

We want Pilgrim pupils to understand the importance of caring for our environment, and to understand the impact our behaviour has on the rest of the world.

Our teaching of Geography supports our Pilgrim values and attributes, contributing to the cultural, social, spiritual and moral life of children as they acquire knowledge of a range of different cultures and traditions, and learn tolerance and understanding of other people and environments.

The location of our school makes learning geography particularly important. We are positioned near to the River Medway which leads into the Thames Estuary. We can see (and hear!) traffic on the M2 bridge which runs very close to our school, with traffic heading towards London or to the coast. Great starting points for many of our geography topics!

Implementation

Our Pilgrim School Geography curriculum was planned for our children collaboratively by the adults that know them, and know their environment, and was designed with our vision at the heart. The expectations for each year group are underpinned by the National Curriculum and are shown in our Pilgrim Progress shown below.

We enable children to engage in geography through enquiry and practical opportunities with We make use of our Review, Teach, Practise and Apply process which enables us to establish next steps for each child ensuring they are able to make progress. We encourage children to ask as well as answer geographical questions and to develop a love for the subject and an understanding of their part in the world. We want them to make comparisons between their local environment with other areas globally, and to understand how we are all interconnected.

Children with SEND are able to show their understanding of Geography in a variety of ways. They are supported with the reading for the subject, and their ideas are often scribed for them as appropriate. Their work is scaffolded and recorded in a way that allows them to feel a sense of achievement.

Map of Geography Learning Journey at The Pilgrim School

geography map 1 .pdf

Pilgrim Progress for Geography

We review what children understand before teaching a new topic to ensure that they are being taught at the correct level. Our coverage was planned to build on prior knowledge throughout their journey with us.

Pilgrim Progress 2023 - 2024

F. S Pilgrim Progress - Geography

Year 1 Pilgrim Progress - Geography

Year 2 Pilgrim Progress - Geography

Year 3 Pilgrim Progress - Geography

Year 4 Pilgrim Progress - Geography

Year 5 Pilgrim Progress - Geography

Year 6 Pilgrim Progress - Geography

In July we enjoyed a wonderful "Pilgrim Explores the World" week. This was followed by our International Street Market.

Check out some of our photos here.

Spain Australia

Impact

Children will become increasingly aware of their own local environment, feeling a sense of belonging to the village of Borstal and its surroundings.
They will understand how their behaviour impacts on their environment.
They will understand the inter-connected nature of their world.
They will enjoy learning about different places, developing a curiosity about the world around them which will continue beyond their time with us.

The impact of our Geography teaching is checked in the following ways.

We use Pilgrim Progress as our main form of recording assessment.
Work is marked in a way that extends children's learning at the appropriate level.
We review children's understanding prior to teaching and assess progress made at the end of a unit.
We undertake book scrutinies and pupil interviews.
The Geography leader attends subject cluster meetings with local schools to share practice.
Annual reporting to parents of standards across the curriculum