Geography

Aims and Objectives

At St Charles’ School our aim is that all children:

• develop their knowledge of the location of globally significant places including their defining physical and human characteristics;
• understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world and how these are interdependent;
• develop an understanding of the geographical features of their local area;
• are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
  • observe and describe their world through experiences of fieldwork
  • collect, analyse and communicate a range of data
  • interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and digital mapping
  • communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills, and writing

Purpose of Geography

Geography education should inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip children with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As children progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.

Curriculum

Geography is taught as part of a blocked approach with links to all strands within the National Curriculum made where possible. Each child will experience a minimum of 24 hours of teaching each year at Key Stage 1, and 36 hours at Key Stage 2. The subject will be taught in blocked units of work throughout the year rather than following a weekly lesson format.

Early Years

We encourage the development of skills, knowledge and understanding that help Reception children make sense of their world as an integral part of the school’s work. As the reception class is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage, we plan opportunities based on Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The Development Matters statements for Geography can be mainly found in the EYFS Specific Area of ‘Understanding the World’.

The development matters statements support the curriculum planning for children aged birth to five and forms the foundations for later work in Geography. These early experiences include: exploring and investigating, drawing on their own personal experiences and observing closely using their senses. They will also include using age appropriate software and technology.

Key Stage 1

Location 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 (e.g. near and far; left and right) to describe the location of features and routes on a map and locational and directional language (e.g. 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.  

By the end of Key Stage 1

Children will have a developed knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They will have learnt basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and be able to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Key Stage 2

Location Knowledge  

• Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
• Name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
• Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

Place Knowledge 

Understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America

Human and Physical Geography 

Describe and understand key aspects of:

Physical Geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle  

Human Geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water  

By the end of Key Stage 2

Children will be able to extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This includes the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They will develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.