Geography Intent
Geography at St. Nicholas is key to all our learning and we see it as a priority in our young people’s lives; which is why we use it to shape our entire curriculum. Our geography lessons help to prepare young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to make sense of their world and to be able to face challenges that will shape our societies and environments on a local, national and global scale.
The teaching of Geography at St. Nicholas aims to inspire curiosity and understanding of the world around us, we help to develop children’s interests in a variety of physical and human environments in the wider world by expanding our horizons beyond our local community; focusing on a continent each term.
Geography Implementation
In early years we teach geography through the Early Years Foundation Stage. We explore the world through our early learning goals (ELGs).
For KS1 and KS2 we follow the National Curriculum by teaching units of work based on Geographical themes. These topics are well integrated across the curriculum and cross-curricular links are seen throughout well throughout plans as geography underpins all of our learning at St. Nicholas. Care has been taken to ensure that progression is made from Year 1-6 by planning a journey of topics throughout the school.
In Key Stage 1, children begin to explore different views of the world using maps and atlases. The children explore their local world and the wider world. We use simple geographical language to discuss position and direction and we support children in asking questions as they develop a curiosity about the world around them.
In Key Stage 2, the children build upon previously acquired knowledge. They use and create more complex maps and can explore atlases more independently. They are more secure about their knowledge and understanding of locations and places around the world. The children are encouraged to think more critically about local and global issues and use a wider range of resources to research their ideas. The children look in more detail about physical and human features of the places around them and understand how they can change over time. Through field work and opportunities to use school grounds and their local area, children are able to see first-hand these features in their local environment and are encouraged to analyse these findings.
Geography Impact
We use a range of strategies to assess what skills and knowledge the children have attained each term including the following:
- Book looks
- Pupil Interviews
- Learning Walks
- Regular feedback each lesson
Geography what we want them to learn
