Geography
We have used the National Curriculum as a foundation to create an ambitious and engaging curriculum allowing all children to become enthusiastic and curious geographers. Children learn how to become effective geographers (disciplinary knowledge) and facts (substantive knowledge) enabling them to explore and understand, through fieldwork and study, the world around them.
Geographical education begins in EYFS and is built upon year on year, developing pupils’ expertise. Teachers have carefully selected curriculum content using sound subject knowledge and thinking about how pupil knowledge will build over time. The curriculum is organised in such a way that pupil knowledge is built and that they can revisit and use it in the future. They are exposed to a broad range of concepts, understanding and making links between concepts in order to appreciate the different aspects, as well as the subject of geography as a whole.
Detailed knowledge of physical and human processes is built upon, supporting a pupil’s ability to describe and explain a variety of environments, thus also developing an awareness of interconnectedness (golden threads). Pupils are presented with precisely identified and sequenced component parts of knowledge that underpins phenomena, enabling them to completely understand a wide range of geographical processes.
Children in EYFS identify physical features of their environment and how these change over the course of a year due to seasons as well as weather patterns. Children in Key Stage 1 observe more unfamiliar physical features of their environment and identify how these are subject to change from weather patterns including adverse weather. In year 2 and year 3, children identify various features of the coast line and how they are impacted by coastal erosion. Within years 4 to 6 children study the various forms of river erosion including abrasion, attrition as well as how these can lead to the formation of oxbow lakes.
‘Forest schools’ also enhances learning within our Geography curriculum. Children develop knowledge about weather patterns, map reading, how forests contribute to the local environment and how they provide cover from the rain and homes for lots of different animals.
The ‘Big Ideas’ or ‘golden threads’ for geography are:
- Geographical techniques and fieldwork skills
- Locational and place knowledge
- Physical features
- Physical processes
- Diversity
- Human Features
- Human processes
Attached, you can read the units of work/curriculum covered in Geography by children from EYFS to Year 6. Curriculum Plan
The document below outlines the geographical knowledge and skills which have been sequenced from Early Years to Year 6.