Geography

Geography Intent Statement

At Therfield First School we believe that high quality geography lessons inspire pupils’ curiosity and fascination about the world and their place within it. Our curriculum helps to provoke and provide answers about the natural and human aspects of the world, promoting empathy and their personal and collective responsibility.

Through a creative, multi-sensory curriculum, we use the local area and community to develop geographical skills and knowledge. We facilitate our pupils to gradually broaden their sense of scale from their immediate geography to the global. Our curriculum is designed to develop the knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, deepening children’s understanding of the earths key physical and human processes.

The Geography Curriculum

Statutory requirements for the teaching and learning of Geography are set out in the National Curriculum Geography document and within the Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW) section of the Early Years Foundation Stage Document.

Key Areas within the Geography Curriculum:

· Locational Knowledge

· Place Knowledge

· Human and physical geography

· Geographical skills and fieldwork

How Geography is Taught at Therfield First School

Wherever possible, Geography is taught in a cross-curricular way with strong links made with English Art, Computing, Science, Forest School, PE, and English.

In the Early Years, Geography is taught under the heading of ‘Understanding the World’ and children spend lots of time thinking about the world that they live in and the people in it.

In KS1 children investigate their local area and a contrasting area in the United Kingdom or abroad, finding out about the environment in both areas and the people who live there. They also begin to learn about the wider world. They carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. In doing this, they ask geographical questions about people, places and environments and use geographical skills and resources such as maps, IT, and photographs.

In KS2 children investigate a variety of people, places, and environments in the United Kingdom and abroad and start to make links between different paces in the world. They find out how people affect the environment and how they are affected by it. As stated previously in KS1, children carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom. In doing this, they ask geographical questions about people, places and environments and use geographical skills and resources such as maps, atlases, IT, and aerial photographs. Children will include geographical enquiry skills including, asking geographical questions collecting and recording information and identifying different views. They will use secondary sources of information with accuracy and acquire the appropriate practical skills associated with the subject.

Geography is not taught as a weekly discrete subject. KS1 and KS2 follow a 2-year rolling programme of topics. Topics lead with History, Geography or Science as its central theme. During the Geography-based topics, the majority of the national curriculum outcomes will be covered. These may be structured into weekly sessions or may be taught as a block of lessons. Elements of the Geography curriculum will be taught and consolidated during other topics too.

All class topics are launched with an exciting BIG BANG to engage and enthuse pupils with their forthcoming learning. BIG BANGs will have a Geography-theme during topics that are Geography based. These may include dressing up, re-enactments, visitors, workshops or use of the outside environment.

Bright and engaging Geography classroom displays will showcase the topic learning journey. Cross-curricular links will be made, particularly with English and Art. The school’s high expectations for standards in writing will be evident in the pupils writing in geography lessons. Whole-school themed days and class workshops feature within the academic year, including an annual Orienteering day, focusing on maps skills (making, interpreting and following).