Geography is fundamentally about understanding the world that we live in. It helps to provoke questions as well as provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. It is our intent at St. Katherine’s Primary School, for the Geography curriculum to inspire children and spark a curiosity about the world and its people. We aim to ensure that this fascination will remain with them for the rest of their school and later lives.
We have aimed to develop a Geography curriculum that allows for a range of possibilities and for children to develop both skills and knowledge in this area of learning, as well as being transferable to other curriculum areas. The Geography curriculum aims to promote success and the spiritual development of all children - we ensure this by providing activities that interest the children and therefore deliver motivation. It is our intent that the curriculum is accessible by all children as we celebrate the diversity in our school and ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn. We aim to build the confidence of our children by providing them with practical experiences and developing their understanding and skills.
Our curriculum is shaped by our school vision as well as being rooted by our Christian values. Both of which aim to enable all children to become the best version of themselves and excel in their own individual way. At St. Katherine’s, we believe that teaching should equip pupils with knowledge of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes.
Geography at St. Katherine’s is taught in blocks throughout the year so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Our long-term plan sets out the topics for each year group. As well as this, our skills map outlines the skills that children are taught in each year group and throughout their schooling lives. This ensures that requirements of the National Curriculum are met and the children are making a natural progression in the subject. By recapping learning/ topics regularly children will remember more, know more and understand more. We ensure that some areas of Geography are revisited but that the children make progression throughout each year group – we ensure progression through the use of vocabulary, learning different and more details and completing different activities. Where possible, children are provided with an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. This encourages a respect for other cultures and the environment, which again is one of our Christian values.
In the Early Years, Geography comes under the curriculum area of ‘Understanding the World,’ providing links with science and history. We encourage the children to explore our outdoor area and investigate the plants and animals that they find there. We introduce the beginnings of Geographical understanding and the building of skills. This includes map work, encouraging children to look closely at what they see.
In Key stage 1, our pupils develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They are taught 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.
In Key stage 2, pupils extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This includes the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. As well as this, the children learn to use this understanding to compare regions in the UK with other regions around the world. Our pupils are able to use their increasing geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge of the world around them.
The outcomes in topic and Geography books, evidence a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s understanding of identified key knowledge. As children progress throughout the school and revisit key skills, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. We are currently aiming to develop our link with other schools in a different continent, helping us to build the pupils’ ability to compare as well as understand the lives of others.
As previously mentioned, we aim to ensure children are provided with an understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. Our children learn and have an understanding of the world and their place in it – this is also reflected in English lessons, through the use of comprehensions about the world and news topics. A target for the coming year is to focus on the eco-crew and their role within the school. They will raise awareness and celebrate what the school and children are doing to keep the school environmentally friendly and what we are doing to look after the world. The school environment is a safe space and it is important to us that it is kept this way and respected. Recently, the Year 5 class made it their responsibility to write to the council after noticing that there were not enough bins on their walk to the swimming pool – this has now been rectified.
St. Katherine’s believe that it is important for children to experience first hand experiences, wherever possible. This enables children to see all of the possibilities that their learning can lead to and brings a new understanding to what they are doing. For example, Year 4 are given the opportunity to experience a rivers trip and Year 2 visit areas within the local community. Topic/Geography based trips bring learning to life and provide the opportunity for children use their skills in new and different situations. Giving children different experiences inspires them, and leads them to become excited about the subject while ensuring they are motivated to continue their studies.
By the time children leave St. Katherine’s school, they will have an excellent understanding of place and locating these around the world and be able use their extensive range of knowledge and vocabulary. They will also be able to enquire and ask questions with confidence. Mainly, we aim to ensure that their learning has been impacted enough to ensure they leave with a passion for the subject and use this to continue to explore and find out about the world and the people who live there.