Geography Intent and Implementation

Geography Intent
At St Faith’s, the teaching of geography aims to support every child to take part in the development of tomorrow’s rapidly changing world. We encourage children to think creatively, to be engaged, inspired and challenged. The subject encourages children to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, both as individuals and as part of a team. Children are provided with the opportunity to ask and answer questions, understanding that they need to use a variety of investigative skills, in a supportive and practical environment, in order to follow their interests and find things out.

Implementation of Geography

We aim to encourage our children to remember knowledge and build on their prior learning by ensuring we carefully consider how knowledge is sequenced. Teachers must understand what pupils must know and be able to do in each subject by the end of each academic year; they must recognise what has come before and what pupils will continue to learn in the next year.

Our curriculum design is based on two main principles:
1) Learning is most effective when spaced rather than blocked.
2) Retrieval of previously learned content is frequent and regular, which increases both storage and retrieval strength.

Some of our content is subject specific, whilst other content is combined in a thematic approach.

Early Years

In the EYFS, the ways in which every child engages with other people and their environment – playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically – underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

Children are taught geography through the areas of learning, Understanding the World:

Key Stage 1

In accordance with the National Curriculum, children are develop their knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They 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.

Key Stage 1 programme of study

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.

In Key Stage 1, geography is taught through the half termly topics throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school.

At the beginning of each topic, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to know or find out. This ensures that lessons are relevant and take account of children’s different starting points. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

The distinctive Christian values of respect, compassion, trust, justice, friendship and community are promoted through the experiences we offer to every child, in all areas of the curriculum.