Geography at St Elisabeth’s CE Primary School

Context

St Elisabeth’s CE Primary School is situated in the top 25% of deprived areas in England and we work with children who have a limited experience of the wider world. This has been at the forefront when designing our Geography Curriculum, to tackle the effects of deprivation, opening our children’s eyes to the word and its people!

Purpose of Study / Rationale

(See page 184 in the National Curriculum)

At St Elisabeth’s, we believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the physical and human aspects of the world. We believe our high quality Geography will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip 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 pupil’s knowledge grows, 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. Children are encouraged to develop a firm understanding and knowledge of their local area; as well as where it sits in the wider world. At St Elisabeth’s, we want our children to develop a love and value for the world we live in!

Beginning in Early Years, children discuss their familiar world, such as where they live or the natural world. From Key Stage 1, the Geography curriculum at St Elisabeth’s is designed outwardly, giving children a firm grasp of key geographical features of their local area. Following this, children in Key Stage 2 will compare their local area to other areas of the United Kingdom, other European countries and finally countries in other continents.

We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about their local area and the wider world and its people. We endeavour to promote the children’s interest and understanding of a range of people, places, and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical processes.

National Curriculum Aims

(Page 184 in the National Curriculum)

At our school, our curriculum ensures that by the end of Key Stage 2, all pupils:

• develop a contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine (Sydney – Y1/2, The Lake District – Y1/2, France – Y5, The Amazon – Y6) – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes.
• understand the processes (The Four Seasons – Y1/2, Volcanoes – Y3/4, Extreme Earth – Y3/4, The Amazon – Y6) that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.

Are competent in the geographical skills needed to:

• collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes (The Four Seasons – Y1/2, The Lake District – Y1/2, Manchester Airport – Y3/4, Llandudno – Y3/4, France – Y5, Brazil – Y6).
• interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
• communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

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