Geography

At Long Toft Primary school, our Geography curriculum looks like this:

At Long Toft, our curriculum is designed with either a Geography or History focus as the centre of each project. Within this design, there is at least one local focus because we believe this enables our children to place their learning in context. It is our intent that pupils make sense of their place in the local community, region and the world. Our outdoor school environment including wildlife and quiet garden provides a safe and secure space for our children to use fieldwork skills to make observations, comparisons and links. Each Geography project begins with map skills, referring to our bespoke world and UK maps, placing location in context. The starting point is always to refer to previous learning then geographical vocabulary is explicitly shared to ensure children are equipped with a practical tool kit to be a Geographer. The local area is rich in a range of environments to compare and well used by children during their time with us at Long Toft. Projects include trips to contrasting locations and all projects, whether Geography based or not, include regular opportunities to learn outdoors. Our curriculum is organised and carefully planned so that children have opportunities to revisit and review previous learning whilst acquiring new knowledge, skills and deepening understanding.

• To stimulate children's interest in and curiosity about their surroundings;
• To increase their knowledge and understanding of the changing world;
• To encourage children to ask questions and propose solutions to environmental problems to develop children's competence in specific geographical skills;
• To deepen their understanding of interaction between physical geography and human processes as well as the formation and use of landscapes and environments;
• To foster a sense of responsibility for the earth and its resources;
• To improve children' skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT;
• To ensure children are competent in skills required to collect, analyse and communicate information as well as being able to interpret data;
• To develop children's thinking skills;
• To promote children's awareness and understanding of gender, cultural, spiritual and moral issues;
• To develop children as active citizens.

In Key Stage 1, children are taught to name the world’s seven continents, five oceans and identify the four countries of the United Kingdom and their capitals.  They learn about another area of the United Kingdom that is different to where they live as well as a contrasting locality from a non-European country. Children use aerial photographs to undertake simple fieldwork and use map skills, including of their local area. They learn to use basic geographical vocabulary to identify and understand the difference between human and physical features of different surroundings as well as terminologies to describe position and direction using the points of a compass. 

In Key Stage 2, children extend their locational knowledge to know the names of and be able to locate major capital cities and countries across the UK and Europe. Children build on the map skills developed in Key Stage 1 and use digital mapping to identify, locate, compare and contrast the human and physical characteristics of these cities. Children learn to identify and know what ordnance survey symbols stand for and use grid references as well as being able to identify latitude, longitude and the Equator. They learn about geographical similarities and differences between regions of the UK, Europe and North or South America.  Children learn about the key aspects of physical and human geography such as identifying the key features and effects of earthquakes and volcanoes and identify the names of and explain how and why the world’s highest mountains have formed. They also learn about settlement and the water cycle. Children know what is meant by biomes and understand why industrial areas and ports have been important in history, including links to local industries.

Implementation

What will this look like in the classroom? 

Fieldwork – opportunities to take learning outdoors will be utilised at every opportunity to allow children to have first-hand experience of being a geographer, practise fieldwork skills and gain knowledge.  

Locational Knowledge – each geography topic will begin by putting into context the location of the area of study using age-appropriate map materials. Children will also use our bespoke world and UK maps which are accessible to all classes and ages across school so that children can make comparisons between current and past geography-based projects, link with their surroundings and become very familiar with maps. This allows children to put their learning into a meaningful context and develop a greater sense of how their study fits into the wider world.

Geographical enquiry – learning begins with recording what children know already and what they would like to know next by generating questions.  

Vocabulary - previous learning and vocabulary of both physical and human features are explicitly shared at the beginning of a project and taught systematically in a carefully sequenced series of lessons. 

Our classrooms will… 

• Provide a nurturing environment for learning where children, whatever their age can work individually, in pairs and cooperate in small groups. 
• Contain age-appropriate equipment specific to geography for children to use and make reference to.  
• Share a range of age-appropriate nonfiction texts to support previous and current learning in geography whilst also extending reading skills.  
• Have a designated project display including children’s work. 
• Geography vocabulary on display alongside maps which pinpoints learning in geography across the phase.  

Our children will be … 

• Enthused by their learning because coherent learning experiences give them the confidence to reach beyond their grasp. 
• Engaged by the challenge within lessons to demonstrate their knowledge.  
• Encourage by specific feedback given by their teacher to reflect on their work and areas to improve.  
• Nurtured to show confidence in contributing to their learning through sharing thoughts and ideas, including the use of geographical terminology. 
• Develop geographical skills and confidence over time due to carefully planned, sequences of high quality lessons over time.  

Impact

How will this be measured? 

Pupil voice and books will show … 

• A varied and engaging curriculum, which develops a range of geographical skills.  
• Clear progression of skills in line with those identifies on the long term plans.  
• Photographs of children engaging in fieldwork

• Enthusiasm and confidence in discussing their learning and experiences in geography
• A progression of the vocabulary used to articulate their learning and experiences as a geographer

• That pupils, over time, develop a range of skills and knowledge across all parts of the geography curriculum.  

Topic Organisers will…

• Identify key facts, fieldwork skills, vocabulary and maps for each topic
•  Be available throughout topic study for children to refer to and use during learning