Geography
At Combs Infant School, we aim to provide children with an amazing experience discovering the world, the way it works and how we live. A range of topics and locations are taught through the Geography curriculum beginning with discovering the world around us in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), to exploring the local area in Year 1, to identifying capital cities of the United Kingdom and key landmarks in Year 2.
Lessons are designed to develop key concepts within the context of a variety of different cross curricular links. Our goal is to develop children’s knowledge and skills so that they become enthusiastic about learning and develop a better understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Geography lessons are supported by a range of resources such as globes, atlases, maps, compasses and technology such as the use of Google maps. Field work opportunities are available within each year group, such as studying our school environment within the EYFS curriculum, the local area of Combs in Year 1 and the capital cities of the in Year 2. These opportunities help children to appreciate how they are connected to the world around them.
Intent
We are committed to providing children with opportunities to investigate and make enquiries about Combs and the local area. This will enable them to develop a real sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our local area unique and special not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits. Children will investigate a range of places in order to develop their knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. We also want children to develop geographical skills: collecting and analysing data, using maps, globes and aerial photographs in order to name and identify countries, continents and oceans along with communicating information in a variety of ways.
Implementation
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Geography is taught as part of a termly topic in key stage 1 (KS1) and half termly topics in EYFS, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum and the EYFS.
EYFS
Geography is taught in Nursery and Reception as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. We relate the geographical aspects of the children’s work to the objectives set out in the Early Years curriculum. Geography makes a significant contribution to the ELG objectives of developing a child’s understanding of People and Communities and the Natural World. Children find out about different places and habitats as well as beginning to investigate our locality.
Key Stage 1
Geography is taught in blocks throughout KS1 and is also weaved throughout the history projects, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. At the beginning of each topic, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to find out. This informs the programme of study and also ensures that lessons are relevant and take account of children’s different starting points. At the end of each topic a ‘Knowledge Quiz’ takes place to assess what children know.
We use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our geography lessons. We believe in whole class teaching methods and combine these with enquiry-based research activities. We encourage children to handle artefacts and to ask as well as answer geographical questions. We offer them the opportunity to use a variety of data, such as maps, graphs, pictures, globes and aerial photographs.
The local area is fully utilised across each year group from Nursery to Year Two in order to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.
Impact
The impact of our high quality geography curriculum will be to develop children who:
• can talk confidently about their immediate locality and its key features
• identify features of human and physical geography
• understand that we live in one small part of the world we have been given, a world which is very diverse in terms of both people and places.
• can name and locate the continents of the world
• know about the United Kingdom and each of its capitals
• have a greater understanding of their place in the world and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment.
• can use and interpret a wide range of sources of geographical information, including a compass, maps, diagrams, globes and aerial photographs
EYFS End Points
By the end of Reception children will know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They will be able to talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. Through educational visits they will be able to make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur and talk about changes.
Key Stage One End Points
By the end of Key Stage one children will have built on their prior knowledge and will know about the location of the world’s continents, countries, cities, seas and oceans. They will be able to name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom. Children will have developed the skill of interpreting a range of sources of geographical information including maps, diagrams, globes and aerial photographs. Through regular fieldwork of the local area, children will have developed an understanding of how the human and physical features of a place can change over time.
Teaching and Learning
Teachers ensure that all children meet learning objectives in our progressive Programme of Study, which encompasses the objectives from the KS1 National Curriculum, through a discrete or specific approach to teaching and learning, as well as through cross-curricular learning opportunities.
Geography within EYFS is covered within the specific area of learning: Understanding the World: The Natural World and People, Cultures and Communities. It is taught through an integrated topic-based approach, enabling children to make progress towards and meet the Early Learning Goals (ELGs).
In the context of the EYFS, the teaching of Geography is incorporated into the planned activities and experiences that are designed to promote children’s personal, social, and emotional development. For example, children have opportunities to explore where they live and the surrounding areas through observation, first had experiences and enquiry. They can also learn about the geography of their local community, country, and the wider world through books and videos. By incorporating geography into their learning, young children can develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and the world around them.
In Key Stage One, in cycle A children begin the autumn term by studying the project ‘A Wonderful World’. This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about physical and human features, maps, cardinal compass points, and positional and directional language. They learn about the equator, hemispheres and continents and are introduced to the countries, capital cities and settlements of the United Kingdom. The children carry out simple fieldwork to find out about local physical and human features.
In the spring term, children study the project ‘Bright Lights, Big City’. This project teaches children about the physical and human characteristics of the United Kingdom, including a detailed exploration of the characteristics and features of the capital city, London.
In the autumn term of cycle B, children study the project “Let’s explore the world”. This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about atlases, maps and cardinal compass points. They learn about the characteristics of the four countries of the United Kingdom and find out why there are hot, temperate and cold places around the world. They also compare England to Somalia. Children carry out fieldwork, collecting primary data in their locality to answer geographical questions.
In the Spring term, children study the project ‘Coastline’. This project teaches children about the human and physical features of coastal regions across the United Kingdom including a detailed exploration of the coastal time of Whitby in Yorkshire.
Educational visits
Throughout the year, the children partake in educational visits with a focus and cross curricular links to the Geography curriculum. These visits take place in areas of our locality and enable the children to make first hand observations of the world around them. Children will be able to develop their understanding in a way that is impossible in the classroom.
Role of Subject Leader
The role of the subject leader
• Ensure high quality geography lessons are taught across EYFS and Key Stage 1 through our agreed broad and rich geography curriculum.
• Provide subject specific guidance/CPD to colleagues.
• Monitor the geography curriculum delivered to children across the school highlighting strengths and areas for further development through end of project assessments
• Monitor the progress and attainment of children in school in geography.
• Manage resources including maintaining/replenishing maps, atlases, compasses to support delivery of a high quality curriculum.
• Stay up to date with changes, new initiatives and research that would enhance and support the development of geography at Combs Infant School.
Reasonable Adjustments
In all classes there are children of differing abilities. At Combs Infant School we recognise this fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children. Teachers make reasonable adjustments through adaptive teaching, including; flexible grouping, level of support, equipment available (including technology), questioning and scaffolding. The SENCO and class teacher work closely together to ensure reasonable adjustments are made for all children.
Equality Statement
The geography curriculum adheres to our school Equality Policy. It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure that all children are treated equally, regardless of their background, gender, race or ability. We are an inclusive school and teach geography to all children respecting individual needs. The geography curriculum takes into account issues of difference including: gender, race and ethnicity.
SMBC
Opportunities to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is threaded throughout our geography curriculum.
• By finding out about people in other parts of the world and the way they live, then finding similarities and differences between us. By developing an interest in our local area and their place in our community.
• By making links with other countries through cultural theme days.
• By learning about different environments and how animals, plants and people survive in these parts of the world.
• By exploring the local area through seasonal walks and developing an awareness of their own local environment
• By considering how people treat the environment and how it has changed. Posing questions such as, ‘How are we changing our surroundings – are some things for the better and others for the worse?’ Who should look after our environment?
How can you help with your child’s learning at home
Geography within EYFS is covered within the specific area of learning: Understanding the World: The Natural World and People, Culture and Communities, with an understanding that each area of learning is impacted by children achieving the statements related in each of the prime areas of learning within the Development Matters Framework.
As our children progress to KS1, teachers ensure that the skills children have acquired in EYFS are built upon and utilised to enable children to further their skills and new knowledge by following the National Curriculum.
Understanding the World and geography are taught through projects following our Cornerstones Curriculum. These projects are sequenced to develop children's substantive and declarative knowledge, and if possible, make meaningful links to other projects. These links allow for children to embed their substantive knowledge and vocabulary in new and often real-life contexts, to comprehend subsequent projects fully.