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Geography

What we believe

At Latymer All Saints we believe that the study of our high-quality geography curriculum will inspire our children’s curiosity, fascination and sense of awe and wonder about the world they live in and its people: a mind-set which will remain with them for life.

Over the course of their study, the children will become confident using key geographical skills across a range of contexts.  They will:

  • frequently engage in practical activities in and beyond the classroom;
  • investigate a range of places (where they live locally, the wider UK and worldwide) to develop their knowledge of how their lives and the places in which they live are connected to others;
  • develop knowledge of natural and human environments and a deep understanding of the Earth’s human and physical processes;
  • collect and analyse data, interpret sources of geographical information (maps, globes, digital mapping etc) and communicate geographical knowledge in various ways;
  • think critically about the impact human activity has on the natural world and how we can improve this (learning about their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment);
  • ask and answer questions about the world that equip them with the skills needed to become independent and competent geographers who make responsible choices in the future.

Local fieldwork carried out by year 4 who were able to sketch maps and discuss and answer the following questions after their local trip.

Ø Where is this place?

Ø What is it like and why?

  • How and why is it changing?

Ø How does this place compare with other places?

  • How and why are places connected?

These questions are the essence of geography.  

 

What we do

We teach geography through cross-curriculum topics which have been designed specifically for our rich and diverse community and that we have developed over time using the National Curriculum and Chris Quigley milestones for progression.

All substantive knowledge areas are covered in our curriculum: locational knowledge, place knowledge, human, physical and environmental knowledge and geographical skill. 

Disciplinary knowledge (thinking like geographers) is embedded into the skills our children develop to make sense of their world, for instance through reading maps and carrying out fieldwork investigations.

Our topics are planned and sequenced so that all aspects of knowledge, skills and vocabulary are taught across all year groups and build on prior learning (teachers are expected to know what has been taught previously as well as having a secure understanding of what needs to be taught to ensure repetition and building on prior knowledge are effective).

For instance, in Year 2’s Amazing Place and Space, children learn basic geographical concepts, knowledge, vocabulary and skills about their locality and the wider UK, using the concrete experience of a familiar place as a starting point. During KS2, this knowledge feeds into regional studies from the Americas, Europe and the UK. Knowledge becomes broader and deeper as pupils progress and become familiar with an ever-wider range of places. This growing knowledge is also fed by the development of locational knowledge, geographical skills and a developing understanding of human and physical processes.

An example of curriculum sequencing is demonstrated in this work about biomes (a collection of ecosystems sharing similar climate conditions) completed in years 4 and 6.

An integral part of our provision is a rich variety of educational visits and fieldwork experiences, which ensure our children gain geographical knowledge and skills and enjoy their learning.

Homework projects

For every half-term topic, children are encouraged to complete complementary research at home, which they then present to their peers.

Please click on the link below to view our Geography curriculum overview:

 

What we achieve

When our pupils leave Latymer All Saints they are equipped as inquisitive learners to explore, navigate and understand the world around them, and aspire to research and explore further learning throughout their lives.

Through regular pupil voice discussions and the monitoring of work outcomes (in books and on display), we assess how confidently the children can talk about the skills and knowledge they have acquired.

 

Please click on the links below to view our Geography progression maps:

 

Useful website links:

Virtual Field Trip website which provides a range of videos for both Geography and History. It is designed to mirror the curriculum in the US however would appear to be a good resource for discussion points.

Geography programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2 National curriculum in England - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239044/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Geography.pdf

Google Earth -

https://earth.google.com/web/

ERA’s Video Streaming Platform – discover thousands of specially curated clips for your subject - https://era.org.uk/tv-radio-resources/primary-geography/