Welcome to Geography

Intent

Ark Byron's Geography curriculum aims to provoke exploration; it aims to inspire a fascination in the world and its people.  The Geography curriculum is designed to impart knowledge about diverse places, people, resources, natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth's key physical and human processes. 

Geography provokes and answers questions about the natural and human worlds. It develops knowledge of places and environments throughout the world, an understanding of maps.  It teaches a range of skills to collect and analyse data through fieldwork, interpret sources of geographical information and communicate geographical information in a variety of ways including maps and writing. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks to explain how the Earth's features are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Implementation:

Geography is taught through a series of themes.  These are sequenced so that children start with the world that they know; in Reception the classroom and moving on in Year 1 learning about the locality (including Acton Park) and countries in Britain before extending their knowledge to the wider world.  In Year 2 we expand pupils' knowledge and understanding to the whole planet when they learn to name all the continents and oceans, as well as focusing on a country in a contrasting location and comparing it with their local area (Delhi in India).  

In Key Stage 2 pupils continue to extend their knowledge beyond the UK, starting with Europe in Year 3 then, developing knowledge beyond Europe, to America in Year 4. This includes location and characteristics of a range of the world's significant human and physical features.  At the same time pupils are building their use of geographical knowledge and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

In Upper Key Stage 2 pupils go on to study Asia and some of the natural characteristics of the area - including a study of volcanoes and the Pacific ring of fire.  They explore the impact that humans are having on the planet and significant global challenges including climate change and deforestation.

Alongside the rich knowledge of the curriculum, pupils learn geographical skills.  These are ongoing and developed over time.  Pupils develop map skills, for example, in each year group, starting with understanding the basic concept of a map in Reception then extending this in Year 1 to identifying countries in the UK, then beyond through the years' units of study. This is built on using compass skills in later years.

There is planned progression for both knowledge and the competency skills. Learning is constantly revisited and extended, so helping pupils to appreciate the benefit of endeavour over time to build their geographical knowledge and thinking.

Learning is enhanced by visitors (such as an Arctic explorer for Year 2 when they are learning about different climates) and trips (such as the Cutty Sark) and field trips (that take advantage of our location in Acton Park).

Impact:

All pupils will:

Develop a thorough knowledge of locations through the world and globally significant places, including their defining physical and human features,

Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human features, 

Develop competence in the geographical skills needed to:

deepen their understanding of geographical processes by collecting and analysing data gathered in research and fieldwork, interpret and use a range of information sources including maps, compasses, aerial photographs, diagrams and globes, communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical data and writing.

All Year 1 subjects Next Year 1 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 2 subjects Next Year 2 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 3 subjects Next Year 3 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 4 subjects Next Year 4 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 5 subjects Next Year 5 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 6 subjects Next Year 6 Subject - Religious Education