Geography
This subject incorporates the world we live in and our place in that world.
During the Foundation Stage, pupils begin to develop geographical skills. They learn about the immediate locality and other regions around the world using a cross-curricular approach. We provide the children with a variety of practical learning experiences, using both the indoor and outdoor classrooms. 
At Key Stage 1, children develop their geographical skills by learning about Framlingham and a contrasting locality. They learn through practical experiences, a variety of resources and educational visits.
At Key Stage 2, there is a 4-year cycle of topics. During each year, the pupils acquire skills and knowledge by learning about particular regions. Throughout this cycle, they will continually compare with a local area.
The resources used include maps, plans, atlases, globes, photographs, the internet and field trips.
Geography Curriculum Statement
Intent - What do we want children to learn?
Geography is essentially about understanding the world we live in. Our curriculum has community at its heart and geography provokes and provides answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Our aim is for each child to see themselves as ‘Geographers’. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place and responsibility within it. Children understand that geography links with other subjects and they can use cross curricular skills and knowledge. It is an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. Our aim is to inspire children to be curious and fascinated about the world and people within it; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
Implementation - How are we going to achieve our intent?
In the Early Years it is the first opportunity to see how a child interacts with their environment and how the environment influences them. Staff follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework which aims to guide children, to make sense of their physical world and their community by allowing them to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment – this is the first step of becoming a geographer.
In KS1 and KS2, teachers maintain strong links to the National Curriculum guidelines to ensure all aspects, knowledge and skills of Geography are being taught across all year groups.
The SRH curriculum is devised to be as cross curricular as possible. Children are encouraged to make links to prior learning and use knowledge from other subjects to support their geography.
Geography lessons:
- Are planned coherently, using the progression maps, to build pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world and the interaction between physical and human processes through quality first teaching.
- Build geographical expertise from their local area to the wider world. This includes locational knowledge, understanding of human and physical features and geographical and fieldwork techniques.
- Provide opportunities to develop their skills and fieldwork using maps and atlases (both physical and digital) will be provided for all pupils. Fieldwork allows pupils to apply geographical skills in a real-life setting and explore their local area and the features within it.
- Key vocabulary will be used, explicitly taught and re-visited as children progress throughout the school.
- Are planned using skills progressions so that knowledge is taught across the year group; skills are progressed across the key stage with connections made to prior learning.
Comparisons will be explicitly made between the geography of the local area and of the wider world.
‘Reactive Geography’ informs pupils of worldwide events that are being reported in the news (e.g. natural disasters) and further builds their understanding of physical geography and place knowledge through class discussions.
Geography assessment is ongoing and informs teachers with planning and adapting lessons and activities and; it is tracked against the Geography objectives.
Impact - What will it look like when we have achieved our intent?
Children will understand that they are geographers and will:
- Have an excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like and their place within the world.
- Have an excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
- Have an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
- Be confident in geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills.
- Have the ability to reach clear conclusions and develop reasoned arguments to explain findings.
- Have developed the use of fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
- Have a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
- Have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.
Class teachers evaluate the progress of pupils within and across lessons using the progression maps. Subject Leaders analyse summative data and identify any necessary actions that develop the quality of provision in their subject.
See our Geography Posts on the Blog.
Other useful links:
Geography Resources
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