Geography

Geography

Geography is the study of the Earth’s processes and how they are affected by human activity. When our children study geography, they become geographers themselves. We create learning opportunities which will pique their curiosity and excitement, inspiring them to become ambassadors for the world they live in.

Our curriculum builds upon concepts year on year, beginning when the children join us in Nursery, each study adding depth to the concepts the children have studied in previous years. They explore a range of places, many of which we might not have experienced before, examining the diversity of the people, places and environments and making comparisons between what they know and what they have learnt. Discussion and debate are interwoven with the use of geographical skills such as map reading, using globes, and analysing photographs to support our children’s ability to ‘think like geographers’.

We include a local and personalised element to the curriculum which is essential to ensure that pupils are engaged with innovative and enjoyable learning that has relevance to their lives and work, while challenging them to think about ‘real world’ issues.

Geography is an enquiry led subject that seeks answers to fundamental questions such as:

• Where is this place?
• What is it like? (And why?)
• How and why is it changing?
• How does this place compare with other places?
• How and why are places connected?

Geography is not limited to the classroom. We make good use of the fortunate location of our school to explore our local area, visit York and even observe physical features nearby such as the River Ouse.

Promoting geography outside school can foster the natural curiosity and interest we strive for. When out and about in your local area, you can help your child geographically by chatting about local physical features, attractions and activities. You might even like to develop this idea by asking them to provide a tourist guide for their local area for visiting relatives. On a journey, you can share the road map or map phone app with your son or daughter so they can follow the route while you talk about where you are going. Holidays are an ideal opportunity to compare the location with their home area – you might ask your child to talk through five similarities and differences, for example.

Link: Geography – Long Term Plan