At Healey, we are worldwide citizens, global explorers, and eco warriors [through our 'Green Team']. Geography is concerned with the past, present and future and helps pupils make sense of the world around them: it is about seeing, doing, enquiring, making links and experiencing. Children explore a wide range of geographical concepts and as they do this, they will develop an ethos of mutual respect and inclusion. It helps to develop a range of investigation and problem-solving skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can be used to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Through fieldwork and engaging in active discussion, children become equipped with skills that prepare them for challenges that lie ahead; embracing technology and promoting a life-long love of learning. By utilising both our indoor and outdoor learning environments children develop independence, resilience and a positive attitude towards Geography.

Intent

Through the teaching of Geography we aim to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of people, places and environments around the world. As children study Geography, they gain an appreciation of life in other countries and cultures. Geography inspires children to think about their own place in the world, their values and their rights. Geography teaching motivates children to find out about the physical world and enables them to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of mankind. We also aim to provide the children with opportunities to work through the essential elements and concepts of Geography.

In line with the 2014 National Curriculum: Geography Programme of Study, we promote a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will continue to develop throughout their lives.

The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
• Are competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
• Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
• Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

At Healey, we encourage children to respect and care for their environment to sustain its future. With an exciting and positive learning environment we are committed to igniting the passion to travel to, see, support and experience different sights, cultures and climates of the world.

Implementation

We incorporate Geography into our topic themed learning, therefore children are immersed into the subject using a variety of practical and cross-curricular learning opportunities. Each year group has a long-term plan with two to three Geography topics, which are to be covered over the year. Topics will alternate with History. Geography will be linked into some History topics, where appropriate, to develop children’s knowledge and understanding. It will also ensure all areas of the curriculum are covered in depth.

Teachers identify the key knowledge and skills of each topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school allowing children revisit and expand their skills of collecting, analysing and interpreting data to communicate their findings and understanding of their environment. Teachers are also encouraged to consider opportunities available to use the school grounds and the local area for fieldwork to enable children to base learning on first hand experiences to enhance teaching and learning in Geography. We also encourage a wide use of ICT resources to explore countries and lifestyles that differ to our own.

As set out by the National Curriculum, we encourage children to develop the following knowledge, skills and understanding:

Key stage 1 - children should develop knowledge about the world, the UK and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Locational 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 [for example, 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.

Key Stage 2 - children should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Locational 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

Geographical skills and fieldwork

• use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
• use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
• use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.

Impact

As children progress through Healey School, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation for their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Children will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects landscapes and environments, enabling them to explore, navigate and understand the world around them and their place in it. Children’s knowledge and skills will develop progressively as they move through the school, not only to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them to become competent geographers in secondary education

Geography in the Early Years

In the EYFS, Geography is encompassed by ‘Understanding the World’ and incorporates children’s understanding of ‘People and Communities’ and ‘The World’ whilst skills and curiosity in ‘Technology’ also benefit children’s research and enquiry for geography.

From an early age, the children at Healey Junior, Infant and Nursery School learn of different cultures, beliefs and routines. Children explore what makes them unique as an individual as well as discussing similarities and differences of their homes and families and their environments. Our environment is decorated with images, stories, and objects from different places, providing children with many opportunities to explore and engage in different ways of living.

Utilising our indoor and outdoor environments, children are encouraged to explore the different features of their natural world and investigate how things change throughout time as well as enquiring what homes natural objects can provide. We promote methods of caring for the wider world beginning with recycling, whilst also modelling respect for living things and encouraging children to think about how we can make the environment safe and pleasant for all living things.

The Lead Teacher for Geography is Miss Waza.