Geography
– ‘The study of geography is more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world.’ Barack Obama
Intent
At Fishtoft Academy we believe that inside each of our learners is an innate sense of curiosity and exploration that must not be allowed to lie dormant. Geography is, by its very nature, an investigative subject and through our Geography curriculum we intend to provide our learners with opportunities to:
- Find out about diverse locations and communities.
- Learn about natural and man-made environments
- Understand the Earth’s key physical and human processes
- Know where places are, what they are like, and how they are linked to other places
- Ask questions about the world around them
- Undertake geographical enquires through fieldwork
- Draw conclusions from their enquiries and explain their findings
- Share well-balanced opinions, which demonstrate good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment
- Develop a broad range of geographical vocabulary and be able to apply this appropriately in different contexts
Over time, our learners will gain a growing knowledge about the world and understand more deeply the interaction between physical and human processes, and the formation and use of landscapes and environments. They will learn how to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
However, above all else, the over-arching aim for our Geography Curriculum is to inspire within our learners a curiosity about, and fascination with, the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Implementation of Geography in EYFS
Learners develop a range of geographical-related knowledge and skills during their time in EYFS, although Geography is not taught directly as an explicit subject. Rather, geography is encompassed in the EYFS through the Prime area of learning: ‘Understanding of the World’, which incorporates children’s understanding of ‘People and Communities’ and ‘the Natural World’. The focus in the EYFS is on learners developing their knowledge of other people, the places where they live and different aspects of the environment and beginning to note similarities and differences between them.
Utilising our indoor and outdoor environments, our learners are offered a variety of experiences that help them to reflect on their own life and those of others around the world. For example, they are able to observe changes in the weather and seasons. We also promote recycling and respect for living things to encourage our learners to think about how we can look after our planet and ourselves.
Implementation of Geography in Year 1 – Year 6
At Fishtoft Academy our Geography Curriculum is informed by and aligned with the National Curriculum (2014). Our teachers plan coherent and progressive sequences of learning using the academy’s knowledge and progression ladders and the support materials relating to different aspects of Geography produced by the Geographical Association.
We teach geography through themed, cross-curricular units of work to enable our learners to see ideas and concepts within a context and make links with other subject areas. This is important as our learners do not see separate subjects in their questioning about the world. Geography is highly interlinked with History and Science, and it is important for us to build upon those links. However, when our teachers, teach a geographical concept or skill, they explicitly state that the children are learning geography. Places for study in Geography have also been chosen to make sensible and productive links with the wider curriculum.
Along with History and Science, I.T. also plays an important role in our Geography curriculum, with Digimaps (an online mapping tool) being used across both Key Stages to support children in developing their map skills. Our English teaching is also often linked to our cross-curricular learning in order that our learners can develop a deeper understanding by applying and recalling their geographical knowledge in a different context (further contextual learning).
The curriculum content has been arranged in such a way as to ensure that it is most appropriate for the developmental age of our learners. With this in mind, our youngest learners learn about their immediate surroundings and as the children’s capacity to take on wider knowledge develops, they study places further afield and in greater depth.
KS1
The main components of study will include:
- Knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality (Fishtoft, Boston & Skegness)
- Understanding and the application of geographical vocabulary – including words relating to human and physical geography
- Developing geographical skills and field work, including first-hand observations to enhance their knowledge
Click here to access our long-term overview for Geography.
KS2
The main components of study will include:
- Extending knowledge of the local area to include the United Kingdom, Europe, North and South America
- Developing a deeper understanding of a variety of physical and human features
- Building on their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to improve upon their locational and place knowledge
- Developing wider and more secure understanding of the geographical vocabulary they use
- Development of field work and enquiry skills so that children can develop their own questions and carry out their investigations.
Click on the link below to see what our Curriculum Drivers look like in Geography:
You can download our knowledge and skills progression ladder for Geography by clicking the link below:
Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression Ladder
You can find out more about how our Geography curriculum supports the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Emotional development of our learners by clicking below:
