We aim to nurture the instinctive geographer in every child and to inspire in them a lifelong curiosity and fascination with our world and the people that live in it. It is our aspiration that, in learning to explore and think geographically, our children will feel empowered to shape and protect the world they live in.
Our enquiry-based curriculum offers engaging, creative and cross-curricular ways for children to develop geographical knowledge, understanding and skills in a variety of local and global contexts. Our enquiries put children at the centre of imaginative or real life problem-solving scenarios where they need to ask questions, research and investigate issues using a range of information sources, consider their findings and seek achievable solutions.
During their time at Woodside children’s “personal geographies”, constructed from their life experiences, reading, films, and video games, are gradually developed through learning experiences inside and imperatively outside the classroom. Rich learning experiences are created as our staff work to ensure that all children are given opportunities to carry out fieldwork. With fieldwork we zoom out from home and school to the wider world. We start within the school grounds and the village and then move out to the local area visiting; local towns, Norwich, The Broads, The Wensum River and the Norfolk coastal area. As we grow into a full primary we will also aim to organise a trip further afield.
Geography learning is enhanced by a range of whole school projects. Digimaps, an online interactive digital mapping resource, is used across the school to support teaching and learning. Many aspects of geographical learning are further developed by whole school involvement in Eco Schools and Schools of Sanctuary projects, by participation in cluster school international celebrations and in fundraising campaigns with local and global charities. Finally, as our school is committed to promoting respect and understanding for diversity, our staff are passionate about including a global dimension in all teaching and learning at Hethersett Woodside.