Geography programmes of study: Key stages 1 and 2 National curriculum in England

Purpose of study

A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people 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 pupils progress, 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 frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Aims

The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop 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

• understand the 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

• 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
        - 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.

Geography By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Children are taught the following skills across the geography curriculum

KS1 Geography
• Name & locate the four countries and capital cities of the UK using atlases & globes
• Identify seasonal/daily weather patterns in the UK and the location of hot and cold areas of the world
• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to local & familiar features
• Use four compass directions & simple vocab
• Name and locate world’s continents and oceans
• Compare local area to a non European country
• Use basic vocabulary to describe a less familiar area
• Use aerial images and other models to create simple plans and maps, using symbols
• Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the immediate environment

KS2 Geography
• Locate world’s countries, focusing on Europe & Americas, focus on key physical & human features
• Study a region of the UK(not local area)
• Use 8 points of compass, symbols & key
• Describe understand climate, rivers, mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, water cycle, settlements, trade links, etc
• Use field to observe, measure & record
• Name & locate counties, cities, regions & features of UK
• Understand latitude, longitude, Equator, hemisphere, tropics, polar circles &time zones
• Study a region of Europe, and of the Americas
• Understand biomes, vegetation belts, land use, economic activity, distribution of resources
• Use 4 and 6 figure gird references on OS maps
• Use fieldwork to record & explain areas

Assessment is based upon these core skills

Others areas we develop children’s geographical skills at St Gregory’s school are:
• Fairtrade awareness
• Rotary Club Recycling
• Paper/Card Recycling
• Parent speakers/specialists support learning (Heritage Day/energy/WW2/Brazil/Poland etc)
• Heritage Day – ensures all children begin to have a concept of countries and continents from nursery upwards
• Artefacts from children
• Emmaus House/CAFOD - harvest
• Fieldwork – sensory/orienteering PGL and class based
• Black History Month
• Energy focus – Thames Water
• Local fieldwork – Chiswick pier/St Albans
• Networking with Ealing Borough initiatives/local schools/deanery
• Previously won award for Ealing ‘green school’ – based on our school grounds/clubs/recycling

At St Gregory’s we begin our geographical knowledge in the Early years learning about Handa and that her country is different to London – we ask questions and compare the differences. Year 1 learn about Ealing, Year 2 travel to Africa. Year 3 study Europe and this is made more realistic with visitors from Poland. Year 4 look at how Vikings lived. Year 5 study rivers – including our own River Brent. This journey of fun for learning about geography concludes in an indepth study of Brazil in year 6 – with a colourful celebration.

Our recent Heritage Day was a colourful celebration of the many different heritages in our school. The highlight was a competition to depict a picture of your family heritage in a written or picture format. The winners were delighted with their book tokens, kindly provided by the PSA. The children listened to a personal message from Mr Norwell Roberts – the first black Metropolitan Police officer, which was read out by Mrs Logan. The special assembly finished with an enthusiastic rendition of Stolat. Each class then received special visitors from all over the world.