Geography

“Inspiring awe and wonder in the world around us”

Our Geography Curriculum intends to:

Inspire pupils all-through to develop curiosity and fascination about the world and its people.

Equip pupils all-through with 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.

Give pupils all-through the geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Secondary Choices Process

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Why Learn Geography?

A high-quality geography education will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. This will equip pupils with the 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. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world will help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geography knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earths’ features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Planned around half-termly topics, the curriculum provides pupils with the opportunity to learn subject-specific knowledge and understanding, explore links across subject areas and practise their writing. Each topic begins with an enrichment activity such as an educational visit or special event that captures the children’s interest and imagination and builds towards a showcase event such as an exhibition or assembly where children’s learning can be shared and celebrated.

Key stage 1 Subject Content

Pupils develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They are taught to understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Pupils are taught to:

1. Locational knowledge

Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

2. Place knowledge

Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

3. Human and physical geography

Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles.
Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
Key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather.
Key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop.

Geographical skills and fieldwork

Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language (e.g., near and far; left and right), to describe the location of features and routes on a map
Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

Primary Phase Long Term Plan: