Geography

EYFS: Pupils begin to make sense of their physical world and their community.

In the Early Years and Foundation Stage, children study geography through the overarching concept, ‘Understanding the World: Key Physical and Human Features’. By giving children a range of experiences, we aim to help them make sense of the world around them whilst increasing their knowledge and understanding of various concepts, such as: natural phenomena (exploring different environments, sand, pebbles, paddling at the beach, standing in the rain and splashing in puddles); visiting the beach, parks, museums and local woodland habitats. Children's vocabulary is enriched through careful and progressive planning, including a wide range of texts, fiction and nonfiction, stories, poetry and rhymes and songs.

KS1: Pupils begin to develop knowledge about the World, the United Kingdom and their locality.

In Key Stage One, children begin to develop an understanding of human and physical processes whilst enhancing their locational awareness through a range of geographical skills such as, field work, observations and the use of a range of resources. Children develop understanding of continents, capitals and oceans and use a range of resources such as maps, globe, atlases and Google Earth to identify characteristics, make comparisons and note similarities. Using Google Earth, children produce their own map of the locality and implement it in an orienteering activity and a locality walk. Learning begins with a locational knowledge study (‘where I live'), then extends to enable children to apply their own experiences and learned geographical skills in a broader context.

KS2: Pupils develop a more in depth understanding of the World, the United Kingdom and their locality.

In Key Stage Two, children's ability to understand more complex processes broadens, enabling them to make more sense of the characteristics of a range of the world's most significant human and physical features. They revisit and enhance specific learning from KS1, such as an in-depth study of rivers in year three which builds on from a North-East coastal study in year one and a study of deforestation in year six. Here, children participate in field work, visiting the local river and mapping out a range of features as well as points of interest. They also build on prior learning of rainforests in year two and broaden their understanding of animal habitats and the impact that humans have upon these and the environment. Children will also learn to develop a sense of identity, belonging and pride in their own community through consistent coverage of the local area across each key stage.