Geography – Levens CE School

Geography Subject Overview

Intent

At Levens CE School, our geography curriculum aims to inspire our pupils to be curious about our world and its people on a local, national and global scale. Pupils develop the knowledge and skills to understand and describe physical and human processes and features; as well as embracing the opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of the planet now, and in the future, as responsible global citizens.

Implementation

Our geography curriculum is taught through topics that are based around the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Topics are organised over 2-3 year rolling programmes, due to our mixed-age class structure.

In EYFS geography forms an integral part of ‘Understanding the World’ area of the new framework, and is deeply connected to science and history. We encourage the children to explore our outdoor spaces to learn about animals and plants that we find there, to make observations and draw pictures and we follow the children’s interests in learning more about them. The children are exposed to noticing important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including in the natural world, such as changing weather patterns and changing states of matter. In Reception, we introduce the concept of maps and encourage the children to draw and label their learning environment pictorially.

In key stage 1, children develop their knowledge about the United Kingdom and their locality. They learn how to read maps, atlases and globes, as well as devise their own simple maps and use basic symbols in a key. Children also develop basic geographical vocabulary to describe physical and human features. In Key stage 2, pupils extend their knowledge of the world to include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features, countries and major cities. They identify differences and similarities between The Lake District with The Amazon in Years 3+4; and the Alps in Year 5+6. Using our rich local environment, pupils develop their geographical fieldwork skills to read 4 and 6 figure grid references, interpret OS maps and use the eight points of a compass.

Throughout the key stages children develop their fieldwork skills. In EYFS children make observations in their outdoor area and school grounds. In Key Stage One the children visit the locality and develop their map reading skills. In Key Stage 2 the children travel further afield and gather their own data, including pedestrian and car counts, as well as making observations and drawing detailed field sketches.

Impact

Evidence about the impact of our curriculum is gathered in different ways and includes: assessment tasks such as information posters at the end of topics to determine knowledge and understanding of a particular period aspect of their learning; listening to children’s responses and contributions to discussions and questions; evaluating children’s understanding through their work completed throughout the topic. Our progression of skills assessment grids enable us to pinpoint attainment according to age-related expectation.

Pupils have real- life experiences in the environment equipping them for the next steps in their geographical journey.

Pupils leave Levens CE School with an understanding of the world, including environmental challenges, a variety of fieldwork skills and an understanding a variety of recording methods.

Our pupils’ work is valued and celebrated throughout our school environment, including work being displayed in school and shared in class assemblies and via our school website.