Geography

Curriculum Intent

It is our intent to broaden pupils’ experiences and insight into the wider world around them, providing an opportunity for pupils to develop curiosity and fascination about the world and its people.

We aim to equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress throughout Albion, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human characteristics, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.

We aim for all pupils to be competent while acquiring geographical knowledge, understanding and skills such as collecting data, interpreting sources and communicating information. This provides the frameworks and approaches for pupils to make links between places studied and be aware of how the world’s features at different periods are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

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

Curriculum Implementation

At Albion, our curriculum focusses on the skills and knowledge highlighted in the National Curriculum, ensuring that good progress is made in both their knowledge and in their application of these skills as they move through the school. For three half terms of the year, every year group focuses on a geographical area of study. These topics build on any prior knowledge and skills that the children will have acquired in their time at Albion and where appropriate, bring in aspects of sustainability and relevant environmental issues.

During our Geography lessons, we consistently promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development helping them to have a greater understanding of their place in the world, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment.

Key Stage 1

Pupils 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 are taught:

Locational knowledge

• name and locate the world’s 7 continents and 5 oceans
• name, locate and identify characteristics of the 4 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:
• o key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
• o 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 are 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 in 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 8 points of a compass, 4- and 6-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

Over the course of the year, children also take part in field work and trips which are carefully planned for and incorporated into our curriculum. These experiences allow for the progression of knowledge and skills by providing pupils with opportunities to apply these in practical contexts.

Curriculum Impact

At the end of each key stage, the children’s learning is assessed against the age-related expectations that are based on the 2014 National Curriculum statements for Geography. By the end of Year 6, children will have a firm understanding of the key geographical concepts outlined in the National Curriculum, and will be able to demonstrate this by making cross curricular links and applying their skills in a variety of contexts. They will be prepared to continue their learning journey into secondary school.

Our curriculum links pupils’ learning to real-life experiences to draw on as well as wider whole school concepts to support understanding. Key life skills are developed within the curriculum where possible to develop values, morals and empathy.

At Albion, we use summative assessment to determine children’s understanding and inform teachers planning as well as ongoing formative assessment and questioning. This is reviewed on a termly basis by the subject leader. The quality of the children’s learning is also evident through subject leader monitoring, displays and evidence within Geography books.