Geography
Intent: What do we want our children to learn?
Through the teaching of Geography, we aim to inspire a curiosity about the local area, Britain and the wider world. We help children to build knowledge and develop skills to explore the earth’s features and understand how these are affected by its inhabitants and natural phenomena.
Our Geography curriculum is:
- Knowledge-rich with the knowledge children are to acquire sequenced as a progression from EYs to Year 6 through our geography knowledge ‘Big Ideas’.
- Skills-rich with the skills children are to acquire built on yearly as a progression from EYs to Year 6 through our geography skills ‘Big Ideas’.
- Linked wherever possible to our locality so that children develop a clear understanding of the impact that geography has on where and how we live.
- Designed to enable comparisons with the UK. For example, comparing London to Barcelona and Mexico City during Year 5’s ‘Visa España’ theme, or discovering the impact of trade during Year 3’s ‘Around the World in 80 Dishes’ theme.
Implementation: What does geography look like at Fircroft?
The Big Ideas
Geography knowledge is mapped as a progression from Early Years to Year 6, through the ‘Big Ideas’, which are:
- Location
- Place
- Physical Geography
- Human Geography
- Features
- Settlement
- Trade
- Land Use
- Exploration
Geography Knowledge Progression
Geography skills are mapped as a progression from Early Years to Year 6, through the ‘Big Ideas’, which are:
- Mapping
- Navigating
- Fieldwork
Curriculum map
EYS
Children in Nursery and Reception are introduced to the 4 Knowledge Big ideas (Location, Place, Physical Geography and Human Geography) as well as the 3 Skills Big ideas (Mapping, Navigating and Fieldwork) within the context of their broader learning.
Year 1 – 6
Children in Year 1 to Year 6 build their geography knowledge through the same Big Ideas, within Geography focussed themes (and also within the supporting Geography element of a History topic).
Geography Curriculum at a glance
Enriching the geography curriculum
Wherever possible, geography themes are enriched through practical activities and visits. First and foremost, we make good use of our school site which includes our Garden Hub area. We also use our local area and other areas of London, visiting significant places and green spaces. On school visits, children are given plenty of opportunities to see popular landmarks and make good use of their mapping skills. We have also carefully chosen the locations of our two residential visits so that they provide children with two differing locations that provide a contrast to our urban home – the Year 4 residential visit being located in the countryside and our Year 6 visit, on the coast.
Geography Photo Gallery
Impact: How do we support children to retain their knowledge and skills and check that they have?
Our carefully planned geography curriculum with knowledge and skills organised as a progression through the Big Ideas, together with the knowledge sequence of each geography theme, is designed to support children’s knowledge and skills acquisition.
We check that children have acquired this knowledge and skills through:
- Launching each geography theme with a quiz based on relevant prior knowledge.
- Starting each geography lesson with a knowledge recap.
- Finishing each geography theme with both a quiz and an ‘express event’ to share and showcase their learning.
- Meeting with a selection of children from every class, each half-term to talk about and share their learning.
- Looking at evidence in children’s books.
Yr 1 Carnival Knowledge Organiser
Yr 1 Weather Knowledge Organiser
Yr 2 Beside the seaside Knowledge OrganiserYr 2 Trip around Britain Knowledge Organiser
Yr 3 80 Dishes Knowledge Organiser
Yr 3 Deep in the Forest Knowledge Organiser
Yr 4 Disaster Knowledge OrganiserYr 4 Mountains Knowledge Organiser
Yr 4 Wandle Knowledge Organiser
