Geography

 

We all live geographically. Planet Earth is our home. It is awesome, diverse, inspiring and everchanging. As geographers at Hazelwood, we are passionate about discovering how our world works and what impact humans are having on its fragile existence. Children at Hazelwood are able to draw on their vast wealth of personal experiences to bring more insight, interest and relevance to our studies. The children build upon their experiences and become increasingly capable in geographical enquiry throughout their years here. This helps them to discover more about the local area while studying a wide range of places and themes, ultimately understanding more about their place in the world today. 

Teachers in the department are committed to improving the knowledge and understanding of the pupils and also developing the thinking skills which are so vital in the study of geography. In doing this, we are able to explore values and issues, challenge stereotypes whilst still encouraging the children to think for themselves. We aim to allow our pupils the freedom to develop their own informed ideas and to then have the confidence and ability to defend these opinions. The emphasis in geography at Hazelwood is placed upon learning through discovery, rather than instruction. Enquiry-based learning is at the very heart of the department. 

    

     

Geography develops children’s understanding of physical and human landscapes and introduces them to different societies and cultures. It introduces them to the global concepts of sustainability and globalisation and is a unique vehicle for environmental education. It provides excellent opportunities for language development, supports the numeracy policy and also encourages the use of ICT. 

Geography has long embraced the variety of technology on offer. The internet is regularly used for research by individuals and our own on-site weather station allows the pupils to be completely up to date with their information. Fieldwork is an essential and exciting part of geography and the annual trip to the River Tillingbourne for the Year 7 pupils is a real highlight. 

Our different teaching styles – incorporating assessment for learning - and multi-sensory activities encourage and develop the different styles of learning and ensure a healthy diet of varied tasks.