Good attendance is necessary for all children, research shows that children who attend school regularly and punctually perform better overall and in their later lives. Therefore, the Government expects the level of school attendance for all primary aged pupils to be no lower than 97%
There have been a lot of complaints recently regarding parking around school before and after school. Please be considerate when parking, as some parents with pushchairs have not been able to get past due to parking on corners of the streets and residents have been blocked in.
We have several children in school with severe nut allergies, which require an Epi Pen. Please do not send your child into school with any nuts or nut products e.g Nutella spread for snack or lunch, as this could be life threatening to these children.

Geography

At Gorse Hall Primary and Nursery school, our Geography curriculum is designed to develop children’s curiosity, enthusiasm and knowledge about the world and its people. Children investigate a range of places –both in Britain and abroad –to help develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. Our curriculum is designed to provide pupils with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about their local area of Stalybridge and Manchester so that they can develop a real sense of who they are and where they live. At Gorse Hall we aim to develop the children’s ability to apply geographical skills that will enable them to communicate their findings and geographical understanding to a range of audiences.   Through high quality teaching, we develop the following essential characteristics of geographers:

  • An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in Britain and the wider world;
  • An comprehensive understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected;
  • An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary;
  • Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills, as well as effective presentation techniques;
  • The ability to reach clear conclusions and explain their findings;
  • Excellent fieldwork skills as well as other geographical aptitudes and techniques;
  • The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment;
  • A genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live here.

Implementation:

 As part of this planning process, teachers need to plan the following:

  • Sticky Knowledge Mat which outlines knowledge (including vocabulary) which  all children must master and apply in lessons;
  • Geography subject led themes;
  • A cycle of lessons for each subject, which carefully plans for progression and depth concentrating on the geographical skills suited to the age group;
  • A low stakes quiz which is tested regularly to support learners’ ability to block learning and increase space in the working memory;
  • Trips and visiting experts who will enhance the learning experience;
  • Appropriate curriculum themed home learning tasks which children complete with adults at home.

 Impact:

Our Geography Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

  • A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes;
  • A celebration of learning each year which demonstrates progression across the school;
  • Tracking of gains in each quiz;
  • Pupil discussions about their learning.

Geography Knowledge, Skills and Attitude
Curriculum Map Geography

I CAN Statements
I CAN Statements Reception
I CAN Statements Year 1
I CAN Statements Year 2
I CAN Statements Year 3
I CAN Statements Year 4
I CAN Statements Year 5
I CAN Statements Year 6

Resources to use at home

BBC Bitesize

National Geographic

KS2 Quizzes to try at home