Geography

Intent
To provide children with a curriculum that enables a coherent understanding of the world around them and its people, knowing where they are from and how their local area (and its use) has changed over time. To ensure children have an understanding of environmental factors (both human and physical) which are relevant to their lives, and being able to compare and contrast these features to countries outside of the United Kingdom. To provide children with the geographical skills to collect and analyse data, to use maps, globes, compasses, aerial photographs and other digital resources and to communicate their findings in a variety of ways. To inspire curiosity and fascination in the world, in order to question how the world is changing, and to understand our impact on human and physical features, not just through geographical resources, but also through fieldwork and educational visits.
Implementation
The National Curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Have a secure contextual understanding of the location of globally significant places, including some of their human and physical features.
- Have an understanding of the processes that take place, how they are interdependent upon human and physical features and how these change over time.
- Have an understanding of their local area and develop key knowledge about the features of this environment.
- Develop geographical skills that enable children to be competent to:
- Carry out fieldwork where data is collected, analysed and communicated to demonstrate an understanding of geographical processes.
- Interpret a range of different geographical sources of information.
- Present geographical information through quantitative and written methods.
NC – KS1
- Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans.
- Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries in the UK, their capital cities and surrounding seas.
- Identify human and physical features of an area of the UK, and be able to compare and contrast this area to a non-European country, in a geographical context.
- Understand seasonal change, including its relevance to location in the world relevant to the Equator and North/South Poles.
- Begin to use basic geographical language relating to human and physical features, and to use simple fieldwork and observational studies to comment on these features in the surrounding environment.
- To begin to use maps, atlases, globes, aerial photographs, basic 4-point compasses and locational and directional language for a specific purpose, and to identify particular countries.
NC – KS2
- Name, locate and identify characteristics of counties and cities that extend beyond capital cities, including some key physical and human features and how these have changed over time.
- Name, locate and identify characteristics of areas that extend beyond the UK and local area.
- To communicate key geographical information using: technology (digital mapping), maps, atlases, globes, aerial photographs and 8-point compasses, and use this to identify position and significance.
- Identify, describe and understand key aspects of human and physical features of an area of the UK, and be able to compare and contrast this area to a European country or North/South America, in a geographical context.
- To observe, measure, record and present human and physical features of the local area, including communication through sketch mapping, graphs, plans and other technologies.
We meet National Curriculum expectations for geography through a coherent scheme of study that is progressive throughout the school, and ensures there is a focus on both knowledge and skills. Throughout their time in school, our children learn about many of the human and physical features of their local environment, how they may have changed and understand how this looks in comparison to features of other countries in the world. Our children have the opportunity to understand why changes have occured to such features, and begin to question what this means for our future. The opportunity to observe some processes in real time, and through real experiences in the local area, ensure that our children are immersed in the world around them.
Our curriculum is enriched by visits to local and significant places such as Newcastle Quayside and Marsden Beach, which helps the human and physical environmental features come alive. The children also have regular experiences such as farm school and culture week, where trips and visitors allow children to gain an understanding and experience of life outside of the UK, or life in their local area in prior years. These opportunities to explore change enable our children to question the processes in the world around them, and the skills acquired enable children to present their ideas in a range of ways.
Geography is a way of ensuring children understand where they come from, the features that are present in their local area and how this looks in the context of the wider world. It provides children with the opportunity to engage and impact upon the future of such environmental features.
Impact
Within geography, we strive to create a supportive and collaborative ethos for learning by providing investigative and enquiry based learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. Emphasis is placed on investigative and fieldwork learning opportunities to help children gain a coherent knowledge of understanding of each unit of work covered throughout the school. As children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area, and its place within the wider geographical context.
Our geography curriculum is of a high quality, is well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills and related vocabulary. We support progression using a range of resources, which also form part of the units of work. Children will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects local and worldwide landscapes and environments. We also ensure children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is further supported throughout and is embedded further during ‘Culture Week’. Children learn about a range of cultures both inside and outside the UK.
We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught.
- Continuous assessment of pupil discussions about their learning.
- Images and videos of the children’s practical learning.
- Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
- Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work.
- Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum.
- Marking of written work in books.
We want the children to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about geography, therefore encouraging them to undertake new life experiences now and in the future.
Geography Progression Document
Geography Passport