Our Intent

Our intention is to deliver a structured sequence of lessons, helping children to cover the skills required to meet the aims of the national curriculum. The content allows for a broader, deeper understanding of the four areas of geography identified in the curriculum. It will develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places and understanding of the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, along with how they bring about variation and change over time. Our intention is to develop children’s curiosity and a fascination of the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The children will enjoy a range of opportunities for investigating places around the world as well as physical and human processes. We intend to improve children’s geographical vocabulary, map skills and geographical facts and provide opportunities for consolidation, challenge and variety to ensure interest and progress in the subject.

Implementation

In EYFS, children are encouraged to talk about the differences they notice between people, whilst also drawing their attention to similarities between different families and communities. They will also know that there are different countries in the world and talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photos. In KS1, children begin to use maps and recognise physical and human features to do with the local area, building to using maps to explore the continents and oceans of the world in year 2. Further, in year 2, children will begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe and ask and answer geographical questions. In KS2, map skills are developed further using digital maps, more keys and symbols and children begin to use more fieldwork skills. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson plans and resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. All children expand on their skills in local knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork. Across both key stages, children have a range of opportunities to experience geography through practical engaging tasks beyond the classroom. Each area of the children’s learning ends with assessments tasks to give the teacher leading geography confidence in the progression of skills and knowledge and that outcomes have been met. Key vocabulary is highlighted in each and used by children to deepen their geographical knowledge.

Impact

Geography learning is loved by teachers and children across school, teachers have high expectations and high quality learning is evidenced. All children use geographical vocabulary accurately and understand the different strands of geography, with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Children can make relevant links from geography to other curriculum subjects, such as history and science. Children improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them, and their impact on the world. All children realise that they have choices to make in the world, developing a positive commitment to the environment and the future of the planet. Children are competent in collecting, analysing and communicating a range of data gathered. All children in the school can speak confidently about their geography learning, skills and knowledge.

We use the Kapow scheme of work as the basis of our planning for Geography.