Geography

"The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world and  appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents". 

-Barack Obama

Geography at St Richard's

We believe it is important that we give our children valuable opportunities for the development of geographical investigation. We feel that children should be give opportunities to understand places of the world, including countries and continents. We believe Geography helps answer questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. The geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge which they can then use across other subjects for further development.  

At St Richard's we teach geography to all children from Nursery to Year 6. Children learn core vocabulary as well as the culture and traditions from other countries. The lessons range from classroom discussions to outside practical geographical work.  The children enjoy geography lessons and this is evidenced through their books and pupil voice. 

Intent 

At St Richard’s we believe Geography helps answer questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. We provide valuable opportunities for the development of geographical investigation and allow children to understand places of the world, including countries and continents.  The geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge which they can then use across other subjects for further development.  

At St Richard’s, the Geography curriculum and policy is shared with all stakeholders and updated when required to keep in line with government requirements, the governors are also involved in what we do across school. Work is carried out through practical opportunities, discussions and recorded elements in individual workbooks alongside photographic evidence when opportunities arise. Displays are evidenced in classes and around school. Year groups are taught lessons which will provide progressive opportunities through key stages. The curriculum is designed to ensure children have a deeper understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills to understand human and natural resources, people and where places are on a globe. As pupils progress through the school, their knowledge and understanding will broaden and they will become more familiar with vocabulary for their key stage.  

Implementation 

Geography at St Richard’s is taught half termly throughout the year so that children can achieve depth in their learning. We follow a scheme called ‘Connect Geography’ which enables the children to learn the skills and have the understanding to grasp the National Curriculum aims. The units have been divided between KS1, LKS2 and UKS2 and mapped across school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively as children move from key stage to key stage. Previous knowledge is recapped, verbally through questions, during each new unit as part of a starter for geography using the knowledge organisers for each year. Tasks are selected to provide challenges for children, encouraging them to be geographers and find things out for themselves. At the beginning and end of each unit, the key knowledge is reviewed by the children using a concept map showing their knowledge before the unit and after the unit is taught. Cross curricular outcomes in geography are planned for accordingly when needed within year groups. There are plenty of geography resources available to suit our curriculum as well as every classroom having their own globes to use throughout the day and support the geography provision. Our local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes for fieldwork, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom.  

Impact 

Outcomes in geography books evidence a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge relating to the national curriculum aims appropriate for each key stage: locational knowledge, place knowledge and human and physical geography. This work is in addition to the fieldwork opportunities which we have around our school and local area. As children progress across the school, they develop a deeper knowledge and understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Geographical understanding, as well as children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is further supported by having each year group identified as a continent rather than a year group, French lessons weekly, by our high school link and also our link school in Spain.