Geography Curriculum

• 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.

Through our topic-based approach to teaching geography, we aim to develop a range of investigative and problem-solving skills that pupils will be called upon to use in other curriculum areas and which can be used to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as they learn to be responsible, informed and caring global citizens. This will include fieldwork projects in our local area, where children will visit the local canal, shops, and parks. Fieldwork allows pupils to engage and develop a deep understanding of geographical processes and enquiry. Fieldwork gives students (both individually and collaboratively) the opportunity to: enhance their knowledge through observing, mapping, measuring and recording real-world phenomena. We also teach our pupils the subject-specific concepts, knowledge and skills of a geographer. These include using maps and mediated images of people and place, numerical data and graphical modes of communication.

Geographical investigation both satisfies and nourishes curiosity and starts very early, when a young child encounters and begins to discover the world. We seek to inspire, in children, a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people, which will remain with them for the rest of their lives; to promote children’s interest and understanding about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

• To locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
• Have a secure knowledge of human and physical geography
• Physical geography includes; volcanoes and earthquakes, rivers, coasts and flooding, the weather and climate, and ecosystems and rainforests.
• Human geography includes population, settlement, employment, industry and crime
• To confidently use maps and understand the links between places and people
• They will be able to name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features, and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time.
• They will also be able to identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones
• They will also use of local 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.