Teaching Overview 

Geography is taught as a block of lessons, usually over 2 to 3 weeks. A broad range of topics are covered to ensure there are clear sequences of learning and progression in both knowledge and skills. There is a long term curriculum map in place, which ensures there is a broad and balanced coverage of foundation subjects across the school. Skills ladders have been developed to ensure there is progression within year groups as well across the school. From this, medium term plans are created for each half term and each year group, which show sequences of lessons focusing on the knowledge pupils will acquire within a topic for each of the foundation subjects.  

What do you need to teach in the EYFS and Key Stage 1? 

Foundation Stage geography allows children to gain a wider experience of the world around them. They learn through first-hand experiences to explore, observe, problem solve, predict, think critically, make decisions and talk about the creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments. Children learn about seasons, the weather, features in the local area and the buildings that surround them. They may be shown photographs of the local area to help them identify features, for example a library, railway, church or mosque. They will also be encouraged to record their findings, perhaps through drawing, writing, and modelling.

In Key Stage 1, pupils develop their knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They are taught 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. 

What do you need to teach in Key Stage 2? 

In September 2022 we  adopted a new curriculum which starts in Year 3 and then will be rolled out in the subsequent years until it is implemented from Year 3 through to Year 6.

Opening Worlds is a knowledge-rich humanities programme for teaching geography in Years 3 to 6. As a school we are provided with curriculum resources together with training, support and ongoing programme-related professional development for our school teachers. Because of its rapidly discernible effects on literacy and its highly inclusive approach, Opening Worlds has quickly gained appeal in schools tackling under-achievement in areas of considerable social disadvantage.

The Opening Worlds programme was first launched in 2019 by Christine Counsell and Steve Mastin, in association with Haringey Education Partnership (HEP) where over 60 primary schools took it up. More recently, a further 60 primary schools have now adopted the programme in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Liverpool.  In partnership with HEP, Opening Worlds now works with formal networks of ten or more primary schools (e.g. LA partnerships, MATs and other school groups with established community leadership). 

Where pupils are not being taught with Opening Worlds they extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Recording

Work in the foundation subjects is recorded in curriculum books. These books should demonstrate the range of skills and knowledge taught, and should be of high quality in both content and presentation.