Geography
"Geography explains the past, illuminates the present and prepares us for the future. What could be more important than that?” Michael Palin, 2007

National Curriculum Aims

The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

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

Progression of Geography through school

Key stage 1

Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand 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.

Pupils should be taught to:

Locational knowledge

name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

Place knowledge

understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

Human and physical geography

identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
- key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
- key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop

Geographical skills and fieldwork

use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

Key stage 2

Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Pupils should be taught to:

Locational knowledge

locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

Place knowledge

understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America

Human and physical geography

describe and understand key aspects of:
- physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
- human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water

Geographical skills and fieldwork

use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
use 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.

Intent

At Mexborough St John the Baptist we value all of God’s children, creating an inclusive environment that helps all to flourish. Our motivating and stimulating curriculum encourages children to become:

effective learners through a curriculum designed to build on progressive knowledge and skills;
responsible citizens who take responsibility for themselves and their actions, show compassion to others and are respectful.

Our ambitious curriculum has a sharp focus on the five key concepts of geography. This ensures that our children become clear-thinking and enlightened citizens who are informed about the world. Our carefully chosen topics ensure our children receive high-quality teaching surrounding all the world’s continents. It is an inspiring curriculum

Implementation

There is a clear rationale behind our geography curriculum. The five key concepts of location, place, physical geography, human geography, and sustainability identify the substantive knowledge to be taught. Clear content sequencing, progression maps and knowledge organisers, place this in the context of long-term knowledge growth. Our geography topics include:

When teaching geography topics, we start with a key question to engage and focus learning. With an eye to the context of our community, we prioritise offering our children a wide and inspiring set of experiences, through drivers such as launch events, trips, visits, purpose and learning celebrations.

Intelligent repetition of key concepts enables children to strengthen memory over time, thus leading to deeper understanding. It is essential that children remember the knowledge that they have been taught so that learning ‘sticks’ for them to understand new knowledge, make learning links and apply this is different contexts. The core skills of recall, understand, connect, and apply are used to facilitate this.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. Our progression maps ensure coverage of all areas of geographical knowledge. These include sustainability and looking after our environment, our local biomes, identifying countries of the world and discussing the similarities and differences between those and the UK, introduction of map skills, seasonal changes, and the weather.

Our EYFS curricular goals also include growing plants and harvesting them in our allotment area. This contributes towards our knowledge and understanding of the world.

Key Stage 1:

In Key Stage 1, Pupils will focus on our five key concepts. Introduction to these concepts as soon as our children start in Year 1 ensures learning ‘sticks’. Our stand-alone Key Sage 1 geography topics are: “what’s around the corner?” and “what can you see at the seaside?”. In Year 1, children will begin to use maps to locate places. This skill is developed into Year 2 as children locate all the coastal regions they study and the four countries of the UK. Children will begin to explore and compare the human and physical geographical features of the UK. Sustainability is a key focus during key stage one geography. This allows emphasis of the importance of this concept. We must look after our planet, only we are responsible for that.

Key Stage 2:

In Key Stage 2, pupils will continue to develop their knowledge of the five key concepts. They will be familiar with these concepts upon starting in key stage 2. Familiarity with these key concepts ensures learning is understood, links are made and applied to new contexts. To ensure clear progression is made, we continue to study countries which are further away in key Stage 2. In Year 3 we study Wales, Year 4 Europe (specifically Spain), Year 5 North America and in Year 6 South America. On leaving our school, the children have been exposed to and explored countries all over the world.

Differentiation for vulnerable groups (SEND, Pupil Premium, etc.)

As the curriculum is supposed to be challenging for all Pupils, some may find this trickier to access. Throughout the teaching sequence ensure learning is differentiated and the Teaching Assistant is deployed at all appropriate points. Bear in mind ideas to include SEND Pupils to ensure they can access learning alongside their peers.

Impact

Pupils’ learning over time, reflects the intended curriculum. The concepts and big ideas provide the schema through which meaning is made and helps to ensure long term knowledge growth. This in turn ensures pupils know more and can do more.

Research shows that repetition of course content leads to sticky learning; the transfer of knowledge from the short term to long term memory. At Mexborough St John’s, we achieve this through regular retrieval practise. Children can speak with confidence about what they have learnt and how they can apply this to other parts of their learning.

The impact of our curriculum will be seen not only in measurable attainment and progress, but that St John the Baptist Primary School creates polite, well-mannered caring members of our school community who understand and respect everybody’s differences and needs.

Geography Progress Model

Please follow the links below to view our Geography progress models. These document outline our rationale for sequencing learning in geography and how progress happens placed in the context of long-term knowledge growth and skills development.

Year 1 - What Makes Mexborough Marvellous?

Year 2 - How does Doncaster compare to the East Coast?

Year 3 - Why is Wales wonderful?

Year 4 - Is Spain simply a holiday destination?

Year 5 - Is North America a safe place to live?

Year 6 - Are all rivers and mountains the same?

Knowledge Organisers

Knowledge organisers are a summary of the key facts and essential knowledge that pupils need about a unit of work or a curriculum subject.

Knowledge organisers can be a valuable tool for both children, staff and parents. Class teachers write the knowledge organiser, in order to set out their expectations of what pupils should learn about a topic – and to clarify their own thinking around what is important.

Pupils will review, revise and quiz themselves using their knowledge organisers. They are also useful tools for parents as they make them more aware of what their children are learning how to support them.

Our Geography Knowledge Organisers

Year 1 - What Makes Mexborough Marvellous?

Year 2 - How does Doncaster compare to the East Coast?

Year 3 - Why is Wales wonderful?

Year 4 - Is Spain simply a holiday destination?

Year 5 - Is North America a safe place to live?

Year 6 - Are all rivers and mountains the same?

Fieldwork

Fieldwork in geography at primary school is learning directly in the real world outside the classroom. It is one of the distinctive features of geographical education and feeds children's curiosity about the world. Lots of fieldwork in geography is completed in the local area, sometimes even within the school grounds.

What is the importance of fieldwork in Geography?

Conceptual development

It helps to bridge the divide between the classroom and the real world. It also helps to reinforce the children’s knowledge of geographical vocabulary such as, ‘natural resources’, ‘human geography’, ‘settlement’, ‘vegetation’, and more.

Real research skills

Children will be given the opportunity to learn skills of enquiry, such as:

observational skills;
data collection;
data analysis;
map work; and
investigative skills.

Another benefit of fieldwork in primary geography is that it appeals to all kinds of learning styles, which enable children to become more successful, all-round learners.

Appreciation and respect for the environment

Fieldwork in geography can nurture children’s respect for the environment and where they live in the world. By visiting sites outside their regular ‘habitat’, we facilitate the idea of social inclusion, encouraging children to explore their emotional responses to environments and helping them to develop a sense of place.

Value of the environment

This kind of effective learning highlights the children’s understanding of different perspectives on social, political or ecological issues. This, in turn, enables them to clarify and justify their own values whilst learning to acknowledge and respect other peoples’. It can also provide opportunities for discussions about the ecological effects of environmental changes and the importance of sustainability.

Soft skills

Completing fieldwork in geography also helps children improve upon soft skills such as: