Geography

The Teaching and learning of Geography at St Mary's Primary School.

Intent:

Our geography curriculum is designed to equip children with a sense of location, consistently using ‘Google Earth’ as well as a variety of maps and atlases. They will also become aware of the impact of human activity on local, national and global environments, enabling them to develop into stewards of our world. Furthermore, they will gain some knowledge of the diversity of people and places, by making real connections to the lives and experiences of different people, sometimes in the context of contrasting localities.

The ‘Big Ideas’: Throughout the geography curriculum location, diversity and impact will be common areas of exploration, enabling children to both broaden and extend their knowledge, as well as to ensure progression in the complexity of ideas being studied and skills acquired.

Implementation:

Google Earth will be used to help children develop a sense of location;
Key vocabulary will be pre-taught, revisited and extended as children progress through the year groups;
Children will progress from basic directional language to using 8-point compass directions and Ordnance Survey map references;
Children will be taught the skills of observation and analysis;
A range of stimuli and experiences will be used to support children in generating their own enquiries; children will benefit from fieldwork in their school environment and on visits to other locations, eg North Norfolk coast;
Explicit links between children’s own locality and the wider world will be made.

Impact: By the end of their time at St Mary’s School, children will have accumulated knowledge to help them make sense of their world today and be aware of how human activity has shaped Britain and the wider world, with particular emphasis to the current threats to the health of the planet. They will also have developed their skills of mapping, analysis and enquiry to enable them to engage in further geographical study at their next stage of education.