Geography in primary schools
This report on primary geography is the last in the series published by Ofsted over several years, based on evidence from whole school inspections and surveys by HMI. It draws on data from Ofsted inspections from September 2003 to July 2005. The report also reflects upon changes since Ofsted inspections began, referring to subject issues identified in Primary education: a review of primary schools, 1994–98, and inspection judgements from 1998/991. From September 2005, subject evidence will be gained from qualitative inspections of a small sample of schools, and future methods of reporting will reflect this change.
Main findings
- Although the overall quality of provision for geography is satisfactory in the majority of schools, there is less that is good than in any other subject and the gap continues to widen. Only one third of schools have improved their provision since the previous inspection.
- Pupils' achievement in both key stages is good in only one third of schools.
- Low achievement is closely associated with teachers' fragile subject knowledge, insufficiently high expectations and weak planning.
- Teaching and learning were judged to be good in around half of schools.
- The leadership and management of geography compare unfavourably with all other subjects, and are unsatisfactory in one tenth of schools.
- Assessment remains a significant area of weakness with unsatisfactory practice in one third of schools; in only one fifth of schools was it considered to be good.
- In the overwhelming majority of schools resources are satisfactory, and in only two fifths are they good.
- Nearly half of schools make good use of the time available, but this is often below recommended allocations and geography is sometimes displaced by the teaching of other subjects.
- In schools without strong subject leadership, use of outdoor learning, such as fieldwork is underdeveloped. Better use is made of the immediate locality by schools during Key Stage 1 than Key Stage 2.
- In the Foundation Stage more frequent use is made of the outdoor environment to deliver aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world. However, there is a tendency to focus on the natural world rather than developing a wider sense of place.
Overview and trends in primary geography since 1998
Figures 1–3 show the improvements in pupils' achievement, the quality of teaching, and subject leadership and management since 1998.
Figure 1. Achievement in geography in primary schools – 2003–05 and 1998/99.
Figure 2. Teaching in geography in primary schools – 2003/05 and 1998/99.
Figure 3. Leadership and management in geography in primary schools – 2003–05 and 1998/99.
In 1999 Ofsted commented on the improvements that had taken place in primary geography since the implementation of the National Curriculum, but also on the gap between successful and weaker schools. The improvement has slowed since that time, and the gap remains. In only one third of schools is provision good; in the majority it is satisfactory, and in a very small minority it remains unsatisfactory.
The 1999 report noted that 'many teachers have had minimal initial and subsequent in-service education in geography'. The situation in initial teacher training has worsened since that time, and many of the features of weaker geography teaching that remain are linked to inadequate subject expertise and a lack of understanding of how to deliver geographical principles and ideas within a conceptual framework.
There have been some gains where the methodologies and structures of the Primary Strategy have been applied in geography lessons. Overall, good teaching, found in one third of schools in 1998, can now be found in half of schools. However, as previously noted 'there is less good teaching than in most subjects taken by the same teacher' and the gap in provision between geography and other subjects is continuing to widen.2
Many of the causes of mediocre and unsatisfactory standards identified in 1999 are still relevant today.
Too often pupils are insufficiently challenged or stimulated by the tasks set (for example, repetition of four figure map co-ordinates, colouring in rather than devising a key). Pupils have poorly developed enquiry skills because of over-directed tasks or a lack of opportunity to investigate geographical issues.3
Currently, in the minority of schools where there is good practice, teachers make good use of links to literacy and numeracy and make effective use of ICT to enhance learning. Even in some of these schools, however, some of the issues raised in 1999 still apply, with 'pupils rarely undertaking any extended writing in geography, being limited to short answers of a descriptive nature and little exercise in analysis and explanation'.
Significantly, there has been little overall improvement in leadership and management, which are good or better in only around a third of schools and unsatisfactory in one in ten. As in 1998, many coordinators continue to have 'little specialist training and are given no time to work with teachers... A significant number are not active in curriculum development'. In these circumstances it is unsurprising that the quality of teaching and learning has failed to improve at the same rate as in other subjects. The issue of subject leadership provided the theme for the HMI dissemination conference in summer 2004. The QCA annual monitoring report acknowledged the 'high quality in-service training provided for primary coordinators' at this conference, which led to more widespread recognition of the need for training and more effective involvement of subject organisations. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has acknowledged this issue and established a Geography Development Fund, which is now supporting a number of projects intended to improve the quality of provision in the subject. In addition, the recently established QCA 'Innovating with geography' website funded by DfES celebrates and disseminates good practice.
Issues in primary geography in 2005
Providing quality geography learning experiences
Currently, the quality of provision is polarised with high quality evident in only one third of schools, typically those where senior managers promote geography and where there is an active coordinator who is knowledgeable and aware of current trends. In these schools geography is usually well resourced, with spending clearly linked to improving specific areas of the taught curriculum. Coordinators are aware of the range and variety of resources available and, in particular, materials produced by aid agencies and subject associations, and the opportunities offered to use the local environment. Coordinators make available to teachers a wide range of materials and packs, linked to specific units in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) schemes of work. In this way, less confident teachers are helped to start thinking about - and engaging in - more creative geography. With the help of the coordinator, materials are adapted to suit the needs of the age group; over the school as a whole, this builds towards progressive units of work which develop key geographical ideas and skills.
The majority of schools continue to use the QCA/DfES schemes of work and some have adapted these, as intended, to create a vibrant and relevant teaching programme that meet the needs of their pupils. Often, however, uninspiring geography can be found where schools have simply adopted these schemes as a matter of expediency: this often leads to unimaginative teaching and activities that are not enlivened by the best resources. Moreover, without a planned increase in demand over the Key Stage, pupils fail to make the progress of which they are capable.
Geography is a visual subject and ICT provides great opportunities to improve provision both in terms of teacher exposition and also through access to a growing range of relevant and stimulating resources. In particular, the topicality of geography provides many opportunities to use relevant and powerful text and images to bring local, national or world issues to life. Through these media, pupils learn to recognise the importance of geography in making the headlines with stories that should concern them. For example, most primary schools used the recent tsunami tragedy in South Asia to highlight the social, economic and human issues linked to the devastating impact of the marine earthquake. In so doing, many pupils also gained a profound insight into the physical dynamics of our planet and developed a deeper understanding of geography and the world around them. But it should not need a global event of this magnitude to tackle geographical issues: local concerns can be investigated using a variety of media, including the internet as well as through first hand investigation, to enable pupils to build up geographical skills and develop a critical understanding of the rapidly changing world in which they live.
Raising the profile and making time for geography
Geography continues to have a marginal status in many schools compared with core subjects and those foundation subjects which are perceived to have greater priority. This lack of status is frequently reflected in the amount of time allocated. Although this varies from school to school it is generally lower than the amount of time recommended by the QCA. In a majority of schools geography is blocked in the timetable on a half-termly or termly basis with other foundation subjects, notably history. It is not uncommon for this time to be 'eaten into' as teachers complete work in another area of the curriculum in which they have greater confidence and better resources.
Rarely does geography feature as a priority in school development plans in terms of the allocation of time, training or resources. Often coordinators are new to teaching and do not have the authority to make demands of school leadership.
Often, too, the potential contribution of geography to the wider curriculum is not recognised, though good practice can be found where geography is the vehicle for developing key skills, especially literacy and reinforcing numeracy through the use of data. Geography can also provide good citizenship education and support pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Sometimes, however, where geography is used for these purposes, the geographical learning is diluted as other objectives take precedence.
It is crucial that time is created for coordinators to develop a feel and understanding for geography if the subject is to develop in schools. However, the widespread lack of geography-specific continuing professional development (CPD) makes it difficult for them to raise their expertise. It also means that they have nothing new to offer teachers in the school in order to support general improvement. The lack of subject-specific training for primary teacher trainees further exacerbates this issue, as they do not introduce fresh ideas into schools. Local Education Authorities are not in a position to provide much subject-specific support, especially with the demise of specialist subject advisers or their transfer to a more generic school improvement role. Greater use could be made of the excellent support and advice provided by the subject associations to both raise the quality of provision in schools and the status the subject enjoys. But, at a time when primary schools are being encouraged to provide a broader and more balanced curriculum which will enrich pupils' experiences, the contribution of geography will only be raised if the coordinators are equipped to introduce richer programmes to raise pupils' understanding of the world.
Making 'quality' use of the outdoor environment
The vital contribution that the local environment can make to geography has already been noted in this report. In successful schools, fieldwork, both local and beyond the locality, is an integral part of the teaching programme and so adds a practical element to the development of pupils' geographical skills, knowledge and understanding. Pupils are very enthusiastic about fieldwork, although their out-of-classroom experiences do not always equate with quality geography. In many cases, the tasks they are given are unclear in terms of geographical objectives, or these are sidelined by the scientific or historical elements of the visit.
Good practice in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 involves well organised walks to local places of interest such as the park, a parade of shops, the fire station or library. Care is taken along the way to develop pupils' sense of place by identifying landmarks and reinforcing simple mapwork skills.
The frequency of fieldwork tends to decrease in Key Stage 2, especially where senior managers have failed to recognise how it can support learning in numeracy and especially literacy: in particular there are opportunities for vocabulary development and for extended writing, where pupils are able to base ideas on real experiences rather than having to rely solely on imagination. Thus, for example, pupils in one school visited two contrasting villages in the Yorkshire Dales, which provided a rich source of ideas in several literacy lessons. The resultant comparative writing was not only well written, it was also good geography.
Many primary schools provide at least one residential experience, usually for their older pupils. In many cases, despite the obvious gains in pupils' personal, social and emotional development, little of the time spent away is utilised in providing a quality geography experience. Pupils from a school which undertook a residential in the Peak District, for example, came away knowing they had visited a National Park, but with little understanding of what that means; neither had they studied issues linked to the impact of tourism on the landscape and the lives of people in the Park. Similarly, while pupils on a residential to a coastal locality in Suffolk gained much useful insight into mini-beasts and small nocturnal mammals, there was no opportunity offered for geographical learning.
Building on the Foundation Stage
In the Foundation Stage, the area of learning identified as 'knowledge and understanding of the world' provides numerous opportunities for children to experience aspects of geography, particularly through a 'sense of place', but also through 'exploration and investigation, design and making, information and communication technology, sense of time and cultures and beliefs'. These opportunities are missed where the focus is on scientific aspects of topics such as 'Winter', 'Colour' or 'Growing Things', which might equally well be linked to place or environmental conditions. Similarly, studies of distant places frequently focus on the natural world, particularly animals, without making stronger links to the characteristics of specific environments.
In reception classes, there are numerous opportunities for geographical experiences to be offered through child-initiated play. Children learning through play in a 'shop' or 'post office' in the corner of the classroom are open to discovery about the world around them as well as their local area. Using addresses on letters or finding out where various foods come from are all potentially good geographical learning experiences. However, these geographical elements are not always identified in the outcomes or built upon. In many cases, pupils' own very limited and narrow experiences of the world around them limit the potential of further discovery through play, unless carefully nurtured by a teacher who is 'geographically aware'.
Where nursery and reception classes do provide good experiences, this can provide a good start in Key Stage 1, especially where it is featured on the Foundation Stage Profile. This avoids repetition and helps teachers to continue to further develop and build on pupils' geographical experiences.
1, 2, 3 Primary Education: A Review of Primary Schools in England, 1994 - 1998, TSO 1999.