Geography

Intent -

In the Foundation Stage, our youngest explorers embark on an Understanding the World magical mystery tour – the destinations are decided by the interests and experiences of the children. By investigating these personal places, the children are encouraged to share their experiences, observations and knowledge, develop skills of investigation and ask and answer questions, thus awakening a curiosity to want to find out more about the wider world.

The adventure continues in Key Stage 1. In Year 1, the starting point of their Geography journey is our school itself! The children learn about the local area in which they live and we then travel further afield to compare their life in this locality to other regions of the United Kingdom. As meteorologists, we keep a close eye on the weather too! The world tour continues in Year 2, where we travel far and wide across the seven continents of the world, sailing its five oceans to discover hot and cold areas in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles. They learn how to draw and interpret maps and they develop the skills of research, observation, investigation, analysis and problem-solving. 

Implementation -

Starting with the relevant ‘Geography’ statements from the EYFS Development Matters document and the subject content outlined in the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Key Stage 1, we have developed a curriculum map which ensures coverage and progression across the key stages.  

Impact -

We use a variety of ways to find out what the children know. We encourage the children to talk - in pairs, small groups or through class discussion, to share ideas, experiences or suggestions, and comments are noted. The children may record pictorially, with the adult scribing the child’s ideas. We also collect photographic evidence. We revisit previous topics to assess if the children have remembered previous learning some time later.

As each unit of work is covered, we consider the related intended learning, recognise children who are working at or beyond the expected level for Year 1, as well as identifying the children who need and who will therefore receive support.

Monitoring in geography includes work book scrutinies, lesson observations and/or learning walks, pupil voice interviews / questionnaires in order to ascertain correct curriculum coverage, the quality of teaching and learning as well as the children’s attitudes to learning Geography. This information is then used to inform further curriculum developments and provision is adapted accordingly.