St Matthew's Geography
Open your eyes to our world, its people, places and culture.
We are Explorers
"The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together." Barack Obama
Why should we learn about Geography?
Geography is a focus within the curriculum for understanding and resolving issues about the environment and sustainable development. It is also an important link between the natural and social sciences. As pupils study geography, they encounter different societies and cultures. This helps them realise how nations rely on each other. It can inspire them to think about their own place in the world, their values, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and their environments.
How will it help children in later life?
Geography gives children a sense of identity. It both provokes and answers questions about the natural world. It develops knowledge of places and environments throughout the world, an understanding of maps, and a range of investigative and problem solving skills both inside and outside the classroom. As such, it prepares pupils for adult life and employment.
What do we want for St Matthew's children?
High quality geography provision, by its fundamental nature (learning about the world), intrinsically links to and enhances all areas of learning. It supports children’s understanding of identity and their place in the world. In turn, effective geographical learning only happens in conjunction with its own intricacies and those of other disciplines. Geography alongside history, religious education and global events forms a central strand of much of our integrated curriculum here at St Matthew's, driving many of the units taught. This approach combines the rigour of a subject-specific approach with the flexible nature of a 3D curriculum; ensuring pupils make meaningful links across different areas of knowledge. This affords our children the opportunity to become experts in the field and allows the time and space to engage children fully, also allowing for a greater number of trips and immersive experiences, something that our children particularly benefit from.
The following principles, drawn from the 2014 National Curriculum, drive our geography intent:
- Children are entitled to a high-quality geography education that inspires in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
- Teaching equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
- As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
- Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
Intent
At St Matthew’s, we aim to offer a high-quality geography education for our pupils, that will inspire curiosity and fascination for the world, its people and cultures. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments. Geography helps pupils to gain a sense of global awareness, explore different places as well as identifying features within our own country.
The learning of geography will not only inspire children about the wonderous world that surrounds them but teaches them the importance of preserving the people, animals and environments of our world for a sustainable future. Geography deepens your knowledge about the different cultures that make up our society, the rare and unique animals and diverse environments of planet Earth.
Global awareness, problem-solving and communication are key attributes of a 21st Century learner, that is explicitly taught through St Matthew's Geography lessons, as the children have wider experiences which unlock their potential in these areas. They will learn to become self-directed, innovative and collaborative as they work on issues such as sustainability and preservation of the natural world. Having the confidence and independence to be a voice for change, through this subject, can impact their future outcomes and the outcomes of the wider world.
Implementation
Our geography topics are aligned with The National Curriculum expectations. It is planned and delivered in a systemic and progressive way. Our topics are planned carefully and created to be relatable for our children, to inspire curiosity and develop a love of lifelong learning.
Geography is taught on a termly basis and is taught as a stand-alone lesson as well as implemented throughout a range of core and foundation subjects. This may include extended pieces of writing in English, map reading skills in mathematics and comparing aerial photographs to determine the changes of an environment within the last century in History.
Our geography curriculum shows clear progression from reception to year 6, enabling children to recap and build upon previous knowledge and skills learnt in topics prior.
As with all subjects at St Matthew's, the learning of geographical terms and vocabulary is prioritised. Some of this is linked to children communicating their ideas both throughout and at the end of a unit of learning both orally but also in creating and presenting maps, data and written findings. Correct spellings are insisted upon as well as an understanding of the geographical terminology.
What does this look like?
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The early learning goals in the EYFS aim to guide a child in making sense of their physical world and their community by exploring, observing, and finding out about people, places, technology and the environment. Enquiry and exploration are central to all aspects of the EYFS, and form the foundations for future geographical learning. Much of this learning takes place through play and discussion and through the sharing of carefully selected literature and the development of children's speaking and listening capacity.
Through the specific area of learning, ‘Understanding the World’, children are supported to:
- Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps;
- Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and when appropriate – maps;
- Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants;
- Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;
- Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
Through discrete lessons and continuous provision, the activities planned allow children to increase their knowledge and sense of the world around them through stories, exploration of their school grounds and local area and through play. The learning is separated into ‘People and communities’, ‘The World’ and ‘Past and Present’. The Early Learning Goals are outlined in our ‘Progression of Knowledge and Skills’ document.
In EYFS, children begin to develop their geographical knowledge through exploration of maps, globes, atlases and make use of the vast school grounds to enhance their geography skills. They observe seasonal changes throughout the year and learn about different people and the jobs they do in our community. This is delivered through hands-on activities, play-based learning, visitors and workshops and external visits in the local area.
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Reception |
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Autumn Term |
All about me The world around me |
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Spring Term |
We are explorers Here, there and everywhere |
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Summer Term |
Growing and changing The great outdoors |
Key Stage One (Years One and Two)
In Year 1, the learning builds initially on pupils’ familiarity with the world around them, providing Year 1 pupils with the opportunity to explore their local environment and develop an understanding of how to use and create simple maps. Pupils will compare their local area to distant locations, describing both human and physical features. Pupils will learn to recognise a natural environment and relate this to the animals and plants studied in this subject. Part of their learning will allow them to build on the play-based skills they have learnt during their time in Early Years and apply them to their learning as they adapt to a formal style of learning. The Geography Curriculum expands furthermore in Year 2 to impart knowledge and understanding of the whole world. Pupils learn to locate the seven continents and five oceans before drawing upon their knowledge base from Year 1 to complete a comparison with a contrasting location. They will use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the weather conditions on their school grounds.
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Year One |
Year Two |
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Autumn term |
My world and my school |
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Spring term |
Our local park |
My local area and Tulum, Mexico |
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Summer term |
Our school environment |
Weather and climate |
Key Stage Two (Years Three to Six)
As they enter Key Stage 2, pupils continue to expand their knowledge beyond the local area, studying the settlements and land use of the United Kingdom and the physical and natural landmarks of European countries. Pupils will move on to learning how important bees are for humans and the natural world and will plan and carry out effective ways to help conserve bees. In Years 4 and 5, pupils focus their study on some of the world’s largest continents, North America and Europe. They explore the location and characteristics of a range of human and physical features, enhancing their locational and place knowledge. They deepen their understanding of how Earth’s features have developed and changed over time, and make informed predictions on potential future changes that may occur to alter the landscapes including our local area. Pupils are provided with the opportunity to build upon their knowledge of weather and climate they have already mastered in Year 2. Pupils in Upper Key Stage 2 perform an in-depth study into the biomes and ecosystems in the UK, where they complete a case study of the New Forest, discovering the diversity of trees, plants and animals found there. They discover problems associated with plastic and explore ways of reducing plastic waste at home, at school and in general, before completing a final study of economic activity of the UK – it is here that pupils have the opportunity to draw together their knowledge from across their primary sequence of learning, making direct reference to prior learning and applying their knowledge to form opinions and personal actions.
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Year Three |
Year Four |
Year Five |
Year Six |
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Autumn Term |
The United Kingdom and my region |
My region and Campania, Italy |
Rivers |
Sustainability |
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Spring Term |
Land use |
Locality |
Biomes and ecosystems |
Economic activity of the UK |
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Summer Term |
Conservation of bees |
Weather and climate |
My region and the Western United States |
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Progression of Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
Our geography curriculum incorporates fundamental geographical knowledge and skills and affords pupils a firm foundation in the subject to develop their studies when they transition to secondary school. The ‘Progression of Knowledge, Skills and Understanding in Geography’ document refers to how geographical concepts and skills are planned to be revisited year on year to embed and create knowledge.
Curriculum Map and Progression
Impact
Geography at St Matthew’s is often taught discretely alongside history. In lessons, we work in various ways, including through practical and hands-on learning, where children are able to gain real life experiences. By the end of each topic, children will have a greater understanding and in-depth knowledge of the topic question.
Inclusion
Adaptive teaching is key to delivering an effective and inclusive curriculum. All pupils' starting points are considered and activities and work is matched to ensure pupils reach their full potential, whilst supporting the child's learning. Adult support, a range of activities, equipment, scaffolding, questioning and resources can enable children of all abilities to access learning.
Our school will ensure that:
- all children have entitlement to a broad and balanced, enriching curriculum
- all children enjoy an active involvement in Geography
- all children have opportunities to experience a broad and balanced range of geography activities
- all children have opportunities to learn about geography from different regions and cultures
- all children will be given equal access to the experience of Geography regardless of their gender, race, disability, medical or other needs
- teachers use a variety of approaches that are matched to the activity and the ability of the children.
Research
Research frames our thinking in what we teach and how we deliver it to our children to ensure teaching and learning has maximum impact.
Please see references to the research linked above:
DfE Geography programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2 - National Curriculum in England
Research review series: geography
Geography Websites
