Geography at St. Mary’s 2022/2023
Through the study of geography, St Mary's children will have an understanding of the human and physical features of their local area and the wider world. They will be able to identify and name the countries and continents of the world, where to locate them and know how to care for it.
Rationale and our learning sequence
The National Curriculum for England states the following:
“A high-quality geography education should 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 should 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.”
At St. Mary’s we have developed our Geography Curriculum to ensure that at all stages of their learning journey our children are equipped with the following skills:
- Interest in their immediate, local, national and international surroundings that encompasses the breadth and depth of physical and human geography.
- Through fieldwork, map work and the use of Geographical Information Systems they will develop the geographical skills needed to collect, interpret and communicate geographical information in a range of ways.
- Development of children’s knowledge and understanding of different cultures and locations.
- Through the study of the natural environment and the effects human geography has on our world children will develop a common responsibility in working together to protect the environment.
This learning is supported by enrichment activities including educational visits focused on different units of study including using both our local and wider environment; some of these activities include regular use of Beckenham Place Park and a trip to the coastal town of Broadstairs. Our geography curriculum overview tracks the sequence of learning for our children and seeks to build on prior learning at all stages of the learning journey so that children are able to refer to prior learning experiences when accessing new learning and deepening skills and understanding over time.