Geography
Intent
To inspire curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with children for the rest of their lives. To give pupils knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Their growing knowledge about the world will help them to deepen their understanding between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
Implementation
- Teaching
Teachers use flexible groupings during lessons e.g. ability and mixed ability groups, paired work, guided and independent work and whole class work. The children are given opportunities to develop core literacy skills which are exploited through geographical inquiries as well as through the learning of new vocabulary. A range of resources are used to enhance learning including using a variety of slides, maps, atlases, globes, watching videos and reading information texts. Relevant vocabulary is explicitly taught and is evident in the classroom on a Geography display wall. Assessment for learning is used within each lesson to establish next steps for pupils and mini ‘quizzes’ take place to ensure content is being learnt.
- EYFS
In EYFS children explain and talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society. They describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps. Children explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and when appropriate – maps. They observe and explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants. Children compare and contrast some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. They also recognise and describe some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
- Key Stage 1
In Key Stage 1 children learn to identify and describe key human features, including cities, towns, villages, etc. They learn how to identify and describe seasonal and daily weather in the UK. They also identify and describe hot and cold locations in the world (looking at the Equator, North and South Poles). Using world maps, atlases and globes they locate the United Kingdom, other countries, continents and oceans. They are taught to use fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of the school and local area and the human and physical features in it. They learn to follow a route on a map and use simple locational vocabulary and the 4 compass points. As they move from year 1 to year 2, the children are exposed to various types of maps. They also draw maps with simple keys.
- Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2 we use the Opening Worlds Curriculum which has been used and proven very effective in many other schools throughout the country. In key stage 2 the children build on what they have learnt in key stage 1. They are taught to think about geographical questions using concepts of place, scale, space, distance, interaction and relationships. The children learn to collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes. They interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and geographical information systems and communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
Impact
Children will leave St. Andrew’s School with the following skills:
- A growing knowledge of the world and their place in it.
- A wider vocabulary of geographical terms.
- Aspirations to discover more about the world, through reading, travel or the media.
- Geographical skills such as, evaluation, creativity, problem solving and enquiry.
The impact of our Geography curriculum is measured in a variety of ways:
- Questioning during lesson time
- Marking children’s written work
- Interviewing pupils across the school about their learning
- Book looks
