Geography
With God All Things Are Possible
At Benedict Biscop we want our children to learn that with God all things are possible. We want our children to aspire and to achieve highly. We want our children to grow as geographers.
AIMS
The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils secure substantive and disciplinary knowledge around:
- contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
- processes 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
- 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
- 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.
We believe that geography should develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them become geographers:
- draw on varied skillsets to enquire, observe, measure, interpret and communicate
- have fluent specialist knowledge
- organise their learning and know the next steps (metacognition).
- shape their behaviours, attitudes and values as active global citizens
- experience personal growth to be open-minded, balanced and think critically
- feel empowered to question, challenge and re-imagine the future
Where does it start?
- Our early years curriculum is the starting point for all subjects within our Curriculum.
- It ensures that all 7 areas of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are covered within each National Curriculum subject area and the Early Learning Goals within each of these areas are able to be achieved.
- Development Matters – Non-statutory curriculum guidance has been used to support the development of progression within our curriculum. Staff are able to use the observation checkpoints to help identify any child who is at risk of falling behind, so they can plan effectively to ensure they reach age-related expectations and end of EYFS.
- In the curriculum below learning objectives have been identified to support the development of key knowledge to ensure our children are school ready for Year 1.
- In order to challenge our pupils, we aim to provide a language rich environment, therefore subject specific vocabulary has been identified to support the development of communication and language across our full curriculum. Within EYFS we use the EEF recommended tiered vocabulary approach.
- Key texts have been identified through our reading spine and story cycle as a method for supporting our pupils to learn through stories.
The pillars of Geography
We know that progression is geography involves developing both skills and knowledge and in order to meet our curriculum aims, we have identified core strands of learning which run throughout our curriculum. We have identified what this should look like at the end of each year group within the school.
Curriculum overview and design
| Year | Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| Nur | What do you notice outside in Autumn? | What do you notice outside in Spring? | What do you notice outside in Spring? |
| Rec | What is special about Autumn? | What is special about Spring? | What is special about Summer? |
| Key Stage 1 Cycle A | Cycle A How does London compare to where we live? | Cycle A What country do we live in and where is that? | Cycle A What is it like at the coast? |
| Key Stage 1 Cycle B | Cycle B How does London compare to where we live? | Cycle B What is the weather like here and around the world? | Cycle B How are people transported to different locations? |
| Three | Are all the settlements the same? | What are rivers and how are they formed? | Why does the population change? |
| Four | Greece today. | Why do people live near mountains and volcanoes? | What is live like in the rainforest? |
| Five | Why did people settle in the North East? | Exploring Antartica! | The geography of Australia? |
| Six | Where does our food come from? | Why do natural resources matter? | Is climate change impacting the sustainability of the world? |
Geography should inspire a curiosity, fascination and awe and wonder about the world and the people that live in it, that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Our geography curriculum provides children with a knowledge and understanding of their local area, the United Kingdom and the wider world enabling them to make connections with other curriculum areas and acquire skills for later life.
All units are based on the underlying principles that allow:
• Active geography: children DOING geography, rather than just listening to it, by being engaged in practical activities in and beyond the classroom.
• Geographical voice: children being provided with opportunities to engage in discussion, debate and oral presentation.
Outcomes in Geography
Reading in Geography
Reading underpins all our curriculum. Key texts have been identified as part of our reading spine to help pupils learn about key knowledge in Geography through stories.
SEND
Benedict Biscop promotes a curriculum that puts all pupils, regardless of their needs, at the heart of what we do. By building mutual respect, we accept others for their differences believing that everyone is special and everyone has something to offer. Our inclusive and enriching curriculum, written for all children, provides pupils with meaningful and aspirational experiences as well as promoting personal growth for life-long learning. When the curriculum needs adapting, to suit the needs of individual children, appropriate modifications are made by the class teacher with support of the SENDCo and the Curriculum Subject Lead.
Useful links to further learning
National Geographic Kids – https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
KS1 BBC Bitesize – https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcdqxnb
KS2 BBC Bitesize – https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zbkw2hv
Geography Games – https://world-geography-games.com/
Top Marks – https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=12
Royal Geography Society – https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/geography-at-home/
Interested in finding out more?
If you would like to find out more about our curriculum. Please contact the school office by emailing BBinfo@nllt.co.uk and we will ask a member of staff to get back in touch a.s.a.p.
