“Without geography, you’re nowhere.”
Jimmy Buffett
“Geography is the science of place and space. It is the study of where things are, how they got there, and what makes them special. ”
National Geographic Society
Geography Lead in school – Mrs A Rice
Curriculum Intent
At Toner Avenue Geography is an essential part of the curriculum, it provides a means of exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. Geography explores the relationship between the Earth and its people through the study of place and environment. It contributes to the cultural, social and moral life of children as they acquire knowledge of a range of different cultures and traditions, and learn tolerance and understanding of other people and environments. Geography is the subject in which pupils learn the skills of understanding a locality and how and where people fit into its overall structure. Developing geographical skills is essential as children live in a world that is available to them. With opportunities to travel and work in different cities and countries across the world, pupils need to efficiently use maps, charts and other geographical data. We aim to open our pupil’s eyes to understanding and appreciating the world around them.
Curriculum Implementation
Early Years
Within the Early Years Foundation Stage, geography is taught as part of Knowledge and Understanding of the World. Children explore similarities and differences, the local environment, and a range of cultures and beliefs, helping them develop the foundations of geographical and historical understanding. The Early Years curriculum sets out that children should observe and identify features of the places they live and the natural world, begin to recognise their own cultures and beliefs as well as those of others, and explore their environment while talking about the features they like and dislike.
Through our continuous provision, we offer a stimulating environment that supports children in developing independence, creativity, innovation, enquiry, analysis, and problem-solving, in line with the Characteristics of Effective Learning. Children build their knowledge, skills and understanding through a balance of play-based learning and adult-led sessions. Early Years practitioners identify children’s interests and use these as a foundation for meaningful and responsive planning.
Key Stage One
During Key Stage 1, pupils build the foundations of their geographical understanding by exploring both their local area and a contrasting location within the United Kingdom or overseas. Through this comparative study, they develop an awareness of different environments, landscapes and communities, and begin to recognise how people interact with and depend on the places in which they live. This early exposure encourages pupils to broaden their sense of the wider world and to appreciate diversity in human and physical geography.
Throughout Key Stage 1, children engage in geographical enquiry both inside and outside the classroom. They learn to ask and answer geographical questions about people, places and environments, developing curiosity about how different locations compare and change over time. Pupils are supported in using a range of geographical skills and resources, including maps, globes, simple plans, digital mapping tools and photographs, to help them observe, record and interpret information. Fieldwork opportunities- such as exploring the school grounds, visiting local landmarks, or observing the weather- further enrich their learning and enable them to apply their skills in real-world contexts.
Key Stage Two
During Key Stage 2, pupils deepen their geographical understanding by investigating a wide range of people, places and environments across the United Kingdom and the wider world. They begin to recognise and explain connections between different locations, exploring how physical and human processes shape the world around them. As part of this learning, pupils develop an increasing awareness of how people influence the environment- both positively and negatively- and how environmental changes, in turn, affect communities and landscapes.
Geographical enquiry remains central to their learning. Pupils take part in investigations both inside and outside the classroom, asking focused geographical questions and applying a growing range of skills to explore their findings. They learn to use an expanding set of geographical tools and resources, including maps, atlases, globes, aerial and satellite images, digital mapping technologies and other ICT-based resources.
As their confidence grows, children develop strong enquiry skills such as collecting, recording and interpreting information, identifying patterns and drawing informed conclusions. They also encounter and evaluate different perspectives on geographical issues, helping them to recognise that places can be viewed in multiple ways depending on people’s experiences and values. Practical geographical skills are embedded throughout the curriculum, enabling pupils to use accurate and appropriate vocabulary, apply fieldwork techniques and read and create maps independently and effectively.
By engaging with a diverse geography curriculum, pupils acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to make sense of the world. In addition to its own distinctive contribution to the primary curriculum, geography also supports the broader aims of education by fostering curiosity, critical thinking, cultural awareness and a sense of responsibility for the environment.
Curriculum Impact
- To stimulate children’s interest in their surroundings and develop a knowledge and understanding of the physical and human processes which shape places.
- To provide learning opportunities that engage and motivate children to learn and foster a sense of curiosity and wonder at the world around them.
- To make sense of their own surroundings through learning about their own locality and the interaction between people and the environment.
- To develop the geographical skills, including how to use, draw and interpret maps of different scales, and the vocabulary necessary to carry out effective geographical enquiry.
- To be able to apply map reading skills to globes and atlas maps and identify geographical features.
- To formulate appropriate questions, develop research skills and evaluate material to inform opinions.
- To increase children’s knowledge of other cultures and, in so doing, teach respect, tolerance and understanding of what it means to be a positive citizen in a multicultural country; embedding fundamental British values.
- To inform children about sustainability & encourage them to make a commitment to sustainable development.
Remember, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
