Mrs da Silva is our Geography Lead.

Through the teaching of geographical skills, knowledge and understanding, pupils will learn about the interaction of human beings with their environments at a variety of scales from local to global. At Southmead Primary School our geography curriculum will engage and motivate children to see the world through the eyes of responsible, sustainable young geographers.

We will deliver a curriculum that:

 • Inspires a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people

• Equips children with an understanding of diverse places, people, resources and environments around them

• Allows children to build on prior learning about physical and human processes and the formation and use of landscapes and environments

• Develops an understanding that the Earth’s features are interconnected and change over time

• Encourages exploration of their own environment and challenges pupils to make connections between their local surroundings and that of contrasting settlements

 • Use the local area and community as well as the wider world to develop geographical skills and knowledge

Geography is taught once a week, in three separate half terms throughout the year. The teaching, learning and sequencing of the geography curriculum is as follows:

• The curriculum is implemented to ensure coverage and progression in all skills and knowledge relating to geography. Moreover, there is an opportunity within each session to revisit geographical skills that need further consolidation and to use new knowledge to enforce prior skills.

• Educational visits to enhance their cultural capital and where applicable links to geography will be made to develop the children’s topical learning

 • A geography progression of skills that is organised into the following main themes based on the geographical association recommendations: locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical knowledge and skills and fieldwork for each year group

• Throughout Key Stage 1 we challenge and support our children to carry out geographical investigations which enable them to use and apply appropriate subject vocabulary, subject tools (including maps, aerial photographs and graphical data and fieldwork skills) to recognise, identify, describe, observe, reason and begin to explain in simple terms the interaction of people with their environments.

• Through Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4), geographical learning and teaching builds on the knowledge and understanding, skills and outcomes at Key Stage 1, and the pupils are encouraged to reach explanations and conclusions about topics, places and issues they have studied. Pupils are expected to base their understanding on data they have collected. Pupils will also begin to be able to see the world through the perspective of different people around the world.

 • At Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6) pupils will focus big questions that extend the children’s subject skills so that they are able to make judgements about things they learn both from their own personal perspective and through empathising with the position of others. Through engaging with the Connected Geography units, pupils in Years 5 and 6 will be encouraged to not only apply and use their previously learned knowledge and skills, but also hypothesise about the interaction of people with their environments.

• As children progress through Southmead Primary 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.

 • Opportunities for children to explore the outdoor learning environments, both within the school grounds and local community.

• Our children will be confident geographers and be able to clearly discuss their learning from past and current topics, as well as explain their next steps.

 • Out-of-class opportunities ensure geography is ongoing and embedded ensuring children to take responsibility for looking after their environments and prepare them for their next steps.

• Children have a good general locational knowledge.

EYFS GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM

understanding the world, the natural world, people and communities.

In the EYFS, Geography is encompassed in ‘Understanding of the World’ and incorporates children’s understanding of ‘People and Communities’ and ‘the Natural World’. From an early age, the children learn about different cultures and countries. Children explore the similarities and differences of their homes and families and their environments. Utilising our indoor and outdoor environments, the children are offered a variety of experiences that help them reflect on their own life and those of others around the world. They are able to observe changes in the weather, seasons and states of matter. We promote recycling and respect for living things to encourage our children to think about how we can look after our planet and ourselves.