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  1. Home
  2. Curriculum
  3. Subjects
  4. Geography

Welcome to Geography

Why do we learn geography?
Our approach
Reception
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6

Why do we learn geography?

We aim to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Our Geography curriculum is designed to impart knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and the natural and human environments together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

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.

Our approach

The sequence of learning starts with the world pupils know: their own local environment followed by the United Kingdom (Year 1). As they 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. 

In Year 2, we expand the pupil’s knowledge and understanding to the whole of the planet; they learn to locate and name the seven continents and the five oceans as well as focussing in on a contrasting location (Kenya) and comparing that with their own local area. 

In Key stage 2 Pupils extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe (Year 3), North and South America (Year 4). This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding 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 an in depth study into volcanoes and the Pacific ring of fire) They the impact humans are having upon the planet and significant Global challenges including climate change and deforestation.

Units are carefully scheduled so that they build on what has been taught before across History and Geography. For example, in Year 3, children look at the geography of Europe before learning about Ancient Greece. This locational knowledge helps in making connections and deepening understanding.

Reception

Autumn 1 Autumn 2

All About Me:

  • Children learn about their immediate environment by using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.
  • Children learn about their door numbers and where they live.
  • Using pictures, children learn to draw simple maps of how to get from school to the local park.

People Who Help Us:

  • Children talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society
Spring 1 Spring 2

Fantasy:

  • Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.

Traditional Tales:

  • Children learn to explore the natural world around them by, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.

Summer

Dinosaurs & Animals:

  • Children understand that some things happen nonfiction texts and (when appropriate) maps.
  • Children have real minibeasts and plants to help them observe the changes that occur. 
  • Children look at a range of maps of the world. 
  • Children about different countries and hot and cold climates.
     

All Reception subjects Next Reception Subject - Religious Education

Year 1

My Local Area

What is it like to live in my local area?

  • Learn about where they go to school and explored their school and school grounds
  • Investigate what it is like in their local area through a local area walk
  • Understand what makes their local area unique – focusing on people and places
  • Investigate where people live and work in their local area and learn names of different types of homes 
     
The United Kingdom

Why should people visit the United Kingdom?

  • Become familiar with maps of the United Kingdom and learn to recognise its shape and to locate it on a world map and a globe 
  • Identify England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as their capital cities 
  • Locate their own town/city within the United Kingdom 
  • Develop contextual knowledge of the location of significant places within the UK – including their defining physical and human characteristics 
  • Recognise the 4 countries individual flags, as well as the Union Jack and what it represents 
  • Begin to develop an understanding of the concept of union 
     

All Year 1 subjects Next Year 1 Subject - Religious Education

Year 2

Planet Earth 

Can you describe the seven continents and five oceans that make up planet Earth?

  • Learn the names of the world’s seven continent, recognise their shape and locate them on a world map 
  • Name the five oceans, understand the difference between ocean and sea and how to locate these on a world map
  • Explore the key human features of each of the seven continents:
    • can name some countries and capital cities 
    • can name significant landmarks 
  • Explore the key physical features of each of the seven continents:
    • identify which climate zones the continents fall into
    • can name some native animals of each continent 
  • Understand the location and significance of the Equator, northern and southern hemispheres
Life in Kenya

How is living in Kenya similar and different to living in the UK?

  • Kenya is a country in the continent of Africa located in East Africa and borders the Indian Ocean
  • Climate: varies in different parts of the country; Kenya sits on the Equator, so it is very hot all year round; Kenya has wet and dry seasons
  • Physical features: Mount Kenya, Rift Valley, desserts, savannah
  • Human features:
    • Rural means a countryside area where there aren’t many buildings or people
    • Life on a rural farm is both similar and different to your lives
    • Nomads travel from place to place. The Maasai are nomads and live rurally
    • Urban is where many people live and work close together and there are lots of buildings 
  • There are similarities and differences between the UK and Kenya 
     

All Year 2 subjects Next Year 2 Subject - Religious Education

Year 3

UK Settlement and Land Use

What is the land like in the United Kingdom?

  • Discover and locate some of the mountains, hills, seas, rivers and coasts of the United Kingdom
  • An understanding of what a settlement is, where people choose to settle and the difference between a hamlet, village, town and city
  • Learn about some of the hamlets, villages, towns and cities of the United Kingdom
  • An understanding of what a county is and the locations of the counties of England
  • Learn about how the land is used in the United Kingdom and considered why the land is used in that way
     
Climate and Climate Zones

How are climate zones different around the world? 

  • There are seven different climate zones – polar, subpolar, temperate, Mediterranean, arid, tropical and equatorial 
  • Climate zones depend on proximity to and from the Equator, tropics and Arctic and Antarctic Circles 
  • The same climate zone can be found in different places across the globe 
     
Europe

Which countries make up Europe?

  • That Europe is a continent found in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • The names of the countries within Europe.
  • The names and locations of the key physical features of Europe.
  • The names and locations of some of the significant man-made landmarks of Europe.
  • That Europe can be separated into different geographical regions.
  • Information about some of the countries within Europe.
  • How countries in Europe are both similar and different to the United Kingdom.
  • Where Italy is and what the land is like within it
  • The names and locations of regions, cities and landmarks in Italy.
  • The human and physical geography of Rome and what it is like to live there.
  • How Rome is both similar and different to their locality.
     

All Year 3 subjects Next Year 3 Subject - Religious Education

Year 4

Amazon, Rivers and Rainforests 

What is the Amazon, why is it significant and should it be protected?

  • South America is a continent found in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • What the climate and land is like across S.America
  • The names and locations of the countries within South America.
  • Information about the peoples of the countries of South America.
  • What tropical rainforests are and where in the world they are located.
  • What the different layers of a rainforest are and the key characteristics of each.
  • Which animals can be found living in a tropical rainforest and their characteristics.
  • Information about the people living in the Amazon Rainforest.
  • How and why the Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed. 
  • The features of a river and where in the world major rivers are found.
  • How rivers shape the land through erosion and deposition.
     
The USA

What is it like in the USA?

  • The USA is located in North America and is in the Northern Hemisphere 
  • There are four major climate zones found across North America and the USA
  • There are many physical features across the USA 
  • The USA is separated into states 
  • The population differs across the states 
  • There are man-made landmarks in the USA 
  • A comparison of life in different states to their own lives in their own locality 
     

All Year 4 subjects Next Year 4 Subject - Religious Education

Year 5

Asia: Mountains, Volcanoes and Earthquakes 

What are natural disasters and how do they impact the lives of people living in Asia? 

  • Asia is located mostly in the Northern Hemisphere 
  • All seven major climate zones are across Asia
  • There are many physical features across Asia: Gobi Desert, West Siberian Plain, Himalayas, Yangtze River, Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Persian Gulf, Mount Tambora
  • Asia can be separated into regions: Central Asa, Middle East, East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia
  • There are significant borders across Asia
  • The Earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates
  • Tectonic plate movement forms mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes
  • Volcanoes and earthquakes have a huge impact on people and the environment
     
Biomes and Vegetation Belts

What are the different biomes in the world?

  • Biomes are large regions of the world that share similar plant and animal species 
  • Biomes are linked to climate zones 
  • The plants and animals in each biome are suited to life there 
  • Humans have adapted biomes to make their own lives easier 

All Year 5 subjects Next Year 5 Subject - Religious Education

Year 6

Mapping the World

How can maps help us to understand a place? Is there anything they do not tell us? 

  • Different maps serve different purposes depending on what they are designed for. 
  • Cartographer is someone who makes maps
  • A compass is a tool for finding direction.
  • Latitude lines run in horizontal parallels and represent distance north or south from the Equator.
  • Longitude lines, called meridians, run vertically from pole to pole. They represent the distance east or west from Greenwich in London, England.
  • Latitude and longitude are divided in degrees (°), minutes (‘) and seconds (“). 
  • Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain.
  • Grid lines are used to locate different symbols or features on an OS map.
  • Four-figure grid references allow you to locate a grid square and six-figure grid references allow you to identify a specific place such as a shop.
  • OS maps use map symbols to reduce the clutter on a map and to help the reader locate features easily.
  • A geographical investigation involves fieldwork.
  • Fieldwork is when you go outside explore the local area and find out more about it.
  • When carrying out fieldwork, you will need to observe, plan, question, research, collect and record data and present your findings.
  • Fieldwork includes investigating both human and physical features. 
Global Challenges 

What are the most significant challenges facing the world today? 

  • Learn how climate has influenced land use and our responsibility as global citizens. 
  • Understand how we distribute the world’s natural resources by finding out what they are, how they are used and how fair it is. 
  • Learn why we trade, who the UK trades with and what fair trade means. 
  • Investigate the challenge of sustainability and how it effects the globe by exploring renewable and non-renewable resources. 
  • Explore the challenge of climate change: human activities that have crated it, the effects of global warming and the actions of environmentalists trying to make a difference. 

All Year 6 subjects Next Year 6 Subject - Religious Education

  • English
  • History
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