Geography

At Hartley Primary Academy, we teach geography through the philosophy of the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our main aim is to enable and encourage all children to become active global citizens that make a positive contribution to the world around them. We want to foster life-long learning by encouraging and enabling pupils to take more ownership of their learning through their questioning. It is through meaningful lines of inquiry that we aim to inspire curiosity and a fascination about the world around us, creating enthusiastic geographers. 

Pupils will become globally-aware citizens. Through an understanding of both physical geography, which looks at the natural processes of the Earth, and human geography, which looks at the impact of people, our pupils will begin to see the interconnected nature of these processes. This knowledge will then enable them to actively participate in their community and contribute to solving larger geographical issues.

Through the transdisciplinary themes, there are many opportunities to investigate geographical issues which supports the emotional and ethical development of pupils, whilst also allowing them to solve problems and show creativity and resourcefulness. Pupils at Hartley Primary Academy will acquire a broad locational knowledge as well as developing a range of geographical map skills needed to investigate places around the world. Fieldwork will be used, with increasing independence through the school, to encourage enquiry and to allow for deeper learning of geographical concepts, knowledge and skills. 

At Hartley Primary Academy, geography is taught through the six transdisciplinary themes as part of the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our curriculum is carefully designed to be progressive, both in skills and knowledge. 

Within EYFS and KS1, pupils develop the basic contextual knowledge of their local area, the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom as well as learning about the seven continents and five oceans. They will also begin to explore maps and use geographical vocabulary. Each KS2 year group explores geographical processes in depth, ensuring that the full breadth of the National Curriculum is taught across the school. The skills and knowledge are arranged to allow pupils to build upon their knowledge from previous years and to create links with this and knowledge from other subjects. Recall and long term memory retention is key and we regularly revisit learning in the form of low stakes quizzing, lesson recaps and reflection in order to ensure our pupils retain that key knowledge. 

At Hartley, we strive to ensure learning is engaging and endeavour to provide frequent opportunities for geographical enquiry. We provide challenges that encourage our pupils to embrace and understand the connections between what they learn in lessons and the real world and become critical and reflective thinkers. Incidental geography teaching is also encouraged to increase pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world.

Outcomes of Geography learning will be evident in our inquiry and floor books, demonstrating children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge. Children will also be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through rich discussions and feedback in the classroom. Through a well-planned curriculum, linked to the transdisciplinary themes, we will ensure that our children have embedded the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful members of society.

By the time children leave Hartley Primary Academy they will:

• Develop a sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live there.  

• Have a good general knowledge of the world map.

• Have a detailed knowledge of the countries and major cities of Europe, North and South America and other countries around the world.

• Have an understanding of the interconnected nature of the main human and physical features and processes.

• Develop an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.

• Be confident when undertaking geographical enquiry.

• Develop the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.

• Be proficient in basic fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques, including the use of OS maps.

• Have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.