Geography

We recognise that the geography curriculum begins in our Nursery.  Children should have a range of opportunities to explore the world around them, helping them to become knowledgeable citizens, concerned about the future of the world. Children learn key geographical concepts and skills, thus having an awareness of the connections that exist between people and places.

Purpose of study (as set out in the National Curriculum)

A high-quality geography education will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching will equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

The National Curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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:

  • collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes

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

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

In Nursery and Reception, pupils will have the opportunity to:

• Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society;

• Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling

• Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps;

• Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

How is Geography taught in EYFS?

In Leading Primary Geography Simon Catling outlines seven ‘big ideas’ that are key in developing geographical learning.

• Place: What is it like, what happens there, how it changes, emotion response.

• Space: Location, distribution, patterns and network connections, layout.

• Scale: Local, regional, national, continental, global.

• Environment: Physical and human processes, actions and features, change.

• Environmental impact: Interactions, disparity, connections, social identity, values.

• Cultural awareness: Diversity, disparity, connections, social identity, values.

• Interconnections: Links between features, places, events and people.

(Catling, S., 2019) 

Place, Space and Scale should be core considerations when planning how any pupil, regardless of age, gains knowledge and understanding about the world around them.

Using the two examples from above - ‘Hansel and Gretel’s kitchen’ and ‘New London’ - teachers might use questions like those in the tables below to extend and assess pupils’ learning.

Regardless of how the learning is facilitated it is being constructed block by block, with many different shapes, sizes and types of blocks being constantly designed, created, arranged, connected, deconstructed, re-designed, re-created, re-arranged and re-connected. All of this incorporates and builds on each individual’s prior learning while adults put the necessary scaffolding – with its associated safety nets – in place; continuously modelling a positive mental attitude, a collaborative approach and a stream of positive approval.

• Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants;

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

Pupils will develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They will understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their awareness of where they are in the world.

Pupils will 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

• 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.

How is Geography taught in KS1?  

Geography is taught alternate terms throughout the academic year.  Children participate in fieldwork activities which promotes geographical knowledge and understanding by bridging the divide between the classroom and the real world. All children from the Early Years onwards will be exposed to globes, atlases and online resources to enable them to develop an understanding of where they are in relation to the rest of the world. Work should be completed in History/Geography books.  

In KS1, recording in books may include, but is not limited to:

• Written sentences

• Labelled diagrams 

• Cloze exercises

• Cutting/sticking/matching/sorting activities

• Annotated concept cartoons

• Maps, grids

• Captions

• Photos

• Lists

• Tables

• Observations written in speech bubbles

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.

How is Geography taught in KS2

Geography is taught every other long term, in Key Stage 2.  In Year 3 and 5, pupils should have around 12 lessons and in Year 4 and 6, pupils should have around 24 lessons.  Teachers should be teaching one lesson a week.  Children will participate in fieldwork activities which promotes geographical knowledge and understanding by bridging the divide between the classroom and the real world. All children from the Early Years onwards will be exposed to globes, atlases and online resources to enable them to develop an understanding of where they are in relation to the rest of the world. KS2 children should collect, analyse and present a range of data, gathered through experiences of fieldwork, to deepen their understanding of geographical processes. Pupils should use and interpret a wide range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes and aerial photographs. All children should participate in activities which promote a greater understanding of their place in the world, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment. Work should be completed in History/Geography books.  

In KS2, recording in books may include, but is not limited to:

• Written paragraphs

• Annotated concept cartoons

• Responding to deliberate mistakes

• Flowcharts

• Essays

• Instructions

• Diagrams

• Photos

• Tables (Drawn, where possible, by the children)

• Cloze exercises

• Charts & graphs

• Reports

• Maps, grid references

As in all areas of the curriculum, teachers should deliver ‘quality-first’ teaching and differentiate to support children with barriers to learning. On an individual basis, teachers should consider any limitations that a child has in accessing the planned lesson and provide resources, scaffolds, adapted tasks, adult support and differentiated questioning where appropriate. As geography demands a high-level of vocabulary understanding, it may be beneficial to ‘pre-teach’ vocabulary to specific children.

Geography lessons should provide challenge for those children demonstrating a secure understanding. Teachers should use open ended questions and scenarios to promote deep thinking and encourage the children’s application of prior knowledge. This could be done verbally or through ‘challenge strips’ where children provide a written response in their books.

Teachers should use formative assessment strategies to gather information about the children’s level of understanding at the beginning, during and at the end of a topic. It is expected that at the start of each new geography topic, children complete a mind map in demonstrating any knowledge they have prior to the topic starting. At the end of a topic, children add to the mind map as a way of evidencing their improved knowledge and understanding. In addition to the mind map, teachers should consider other ways in which they can assess children’s understanding of a topic of work. These should be year group appropriate and reflected in the books either through photos, a blurb or extended writing. These assessment opportunities could be, but are not limited to, any of the below:

• Answering key questions

• A google quiz

• A presentation (poster, display board, PowerPoint)

• Peer teaching

• Narrative/drama

• A structured debate

• An information leaflet

• An essay

In addition to the end of topic assessment, it is expected that teachers use formative strategies within their lessons (such as questioning or retrieval exercises) to continually assess and gain insight into the children’s level of understanding, therefore influencing next steps.

As in the feedback policy, the sole focus of feedback and marking should be to further children’s learning. Although teachers may want to ‘acknowledge mark’ books as an indication that they have reviewed the learning, what will be most effective is when feedback is delivered closest to the point of action. Feedback in class may include targeting individuals or small groups, verbal comments, TA supported groups, redirecting the focus of the teaching, summarising and evaluating, self/peer assessment or providing further challenge. 

Staff receive professional development through two strands:

1. Subject knowledge and skills

2. Pedagogy

We aim to provide teachers and supporting adults with regular ongoing training and development through a well planned CPD programme.  This is supplemented by targeted support as necessary. 

There is a wide range of resources available to teachers in school to support teaching and learning including OS Maps, globes, and topic boxes. Curriculum guidance and supporting resources are accessible both within this document and on the google drive within the geography folder. Teachers are encouraged to inspire children through nationalgeographic.com . This website has short subject specific videos focused on all areas of geography including information about animals, climate change and other countries.