Geography

Geography explores the relationship between the Earth and its peoples through the study of place, space and environment. It helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about both physical and human aspects of the world. We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that encompasses British Values throughout. Our geography curriculum is rigorously sequenced so that our children’s geographical knowledge, understanding and skills build over time. It is taught as a separate subject and alternates with History each half term e.g. Autumn 1 – History topic, Autumn 2 – Geography topic.

The aim of our geography curriculum is to create geographers who are curious about the world and its people and demonstrate the following essential characteristics:

An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
An outstanding understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
The ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter.
Highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
A passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.

Our Curriculum

Within our classrooms, we follow rich and ambitious lines of enquiry by answering key questions. For example, our Year 2 children learn about hot and cold climates by endeavouring to answer the following question – ‘Why is the Arctic ice disappearing?’ We teach children the knowledge they need in small steps to answer these challenging questions successfully. Studying geography in this way inspires children’s curiosity, encourages them to ask critical questions and enables them to have a better understanding of the wider world.

Threshold concepts are the ‘big ideas’ that underpin each area of the Geography curriculum. Children return to these concepts in a wide breadth of topics, gradually deepening their understanding of each one over time. Knowledge categories are the aspect of knowledge which makes up each threshold concept.

As children progress through the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Geographical understanding, as well as children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is further supported by the school’s links with an international partner school in Poland and this was already recognised by the school’s achievement of the British Council’s ‘International School Award’.

Please find the geography overviews for each year group below:

Year 1 – click here

Year 2 – click here

Year 3 – click here

Year 4 – click here

Year 5 – click here

Year 6 – click here