Policy Overarching Objective

We believe every child has the right to a high quality Geography education and that the skills children develop through Geography have a huge impact on many other areas of life and learning. Teaching in Geography reflects our curriculum intent of learning about the challenges the world is facing, have the inspiration to improve and preserve the future of our planet, and to live happy, healthy and kind lives, in the way that Jesus teaches us.

The aims and objectives of Geography are in line with the National Curriculum and enable children:

• Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes.

• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.

• Are competent in the geographical skills needed to:

1. Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes.

2. Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

3. Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

Implementation

In Early Years:

There are three main areas that collectively underpin children’s early mathematical learning, and which provide the firm foundations for the maths that children will encounter as they progress through the key stages.

Understanding the World:

• people and communities

• the world

• technology.

In Key Stage 1:

Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should 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 should be taught to:

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.

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.

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 [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map Geography – key stages 1 and 2.

• 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.

In Key Stage 2:

Pupils should 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 should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Pupils should be taught to:

Locational knowledge

• Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.

• Name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time.

• Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night).

Place knowledge

Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America.

Human and physical geography

Describe and understand key aspects of:

• Physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle.

• Human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

Geographical skills and fieldwork

• Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied.

• Use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world.

• Use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.

Impact

Geography is tracked through termly assessments and interventions determined through pupil progress meetings.

As an inclusive school, we recognise the need to tailor our approach to support children with Special Educational Needs as well as those who would benefit from further enrichment and challenge.

Appropriate arrangements are made by the class teacher to accommodate any specific special needs that a pupil may have, thus enabling them to participate in geographical activity. The class teacher and support staff will identify pupils who show a particular talent for geography and appropriate provision is provided for them.

Cultural Capital links to Geography

International Week: every year pupils enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world by engaging in our school International Week. Each class creates a performance, which becomes part of our international carnival parade. The children taste food from around the world, dress up in national costume of colours and landmarks, flag and much more for their chosen country. We invite parents in to speak about their country and invite outside agencies for dancing, stories and history talks.

Pupil Team: all pupils are eligible to be selected for the Geography Pupil Team to promote a love of geography across the school and assist in monitoring tasks.

English – writing of non-fiction texts which include geographical vocabulary, graphs, charts and tables e.g. Non-chronological reports about Animals of India.

Maths - study maps and use coordinates and ideas of angles, direction, position, scale and ratio. Use timelines similar to number lines.

Science – data handling; decide which graph to use to represent data and plot, interpret and predict from graphs.

Computing - collect and classify data, enter it into data handling software to produce graphs and tables, and interpret and explain the results.

Art/D&T - study art / old maps

History - study maps and use coordinates and ideas of angles, direction, position, scale and ratio. Use timelines similar to number lines.