Geography teaches an understanding of the world around us. Through their work in geography, children learn about their local area and compare their life in this area with that in other regions of the world. They learn how to draw and interpret maps and they develop the skills of research and investigation. At St Mary’s, our aim is to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and the people within it; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and develop a better understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes and features. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, we aim for the children to gain an appreciation of life in other cultures. 

Aims/ Intent

To encourage children to:

• develop skills, e.g. map making, map reading, map interpreting, using evidence, asking and answering geographical questions, using geographic language, and enquiring, particularly through fieldwork
• develop concepts, e.g. location, links, routes, settlements, climate,   

      distribution, distance, direction

• appreciate the world’s physical diversity
• develop an informed concern about the future, thereby enhancing their sense of responsibility for the care of the earth and its peoples
• encourage an appreciation of the variety of human conditions
• develop a range of skills and competencies necessary to carry out geographical enquiry and to interpret geographical information
• develop and apply ICT to their geographical studies

Through our geography teaching, we endeavour to foster the following qualities:

• curiosity, perseverance, open-mindedness, sensitivity and care to others from different cultures, adaptability, co-operation, a knowledge of our environment and how we can help to preserve it. 

Implementation

Geography is taught throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. Within our curriculum we have identified the key knowledge and skills of each area of geography. By the end of year 6, our wish is for the children to have developed a geographical understanding of our locality, human and physical features, enquiry skills and globes, maps and plans. Planning is informed by and aligned with the national curriculum.

Impact

Assessments of children’s development in geography are made through:

• Observation
• Listening
• Questioning

Evidence of work and progress are kept in the form of:

• Teacher’s own records (including planning)
• Photographs
• Topic books

Aspirations for the children:

• We aim to inspire, in children, a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives, equipping them well for further education and beyond.

St Mary's Learner Leaflets (Progression of Knowledge)