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Geography

Intent

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
By the end of EYFS the children will be able to talk about the geographical features of the school environment and a farm or the heath environment, using vocabulary specific to these locations. They will also be able to identify similarities and differences between these locations.

Key Stage 1 (KS1)
By the end of KS1 the children will have knowledge of the local area (Roehampton), a seaside town (Brighton) and a non-European area (a small rural village in Kenya). Through this, they will develop the appropriate geographical skills e.g. drawing simple maps; using simple maps, atlases and globes; using geographical vocabulary to describe human and physical features. They will be able to name the continents and seas of the world, the equator, the poles, 4 countries of the UK and their capitals.

Key Stage 2 (KS2)
By the end of KS2, the children will have extended knowledge and understanding beyond the local area, including the United Kingdom, (Paris, France) and a region of North America (The Caribbean). Children will begin to look at similarities and differences of human geography such as types of settlement, land use and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water. They will further study physical geography elements such as climate zones, rivers, mountains volcanoes and earthquakes. Children will continue to use maps, atlases, globes and will use the 8 points of a compass in their work. They will start to consider the use of four and six figure grid references and symbols and key to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world.

Implementation

We deliver our geography curriculum through a topic based curriculum primarily. The curriculum delivered is based on the National Curriculum.  Children at RCS from Year 1 to Year 6 have two half-terms where Geography is the Assessment Focus and where the main elements of the Geography Curriculum are taught. Some geography teaching may occur in half-terms that do not have geography as a focus, but links well to the overall topic being delivered.
In the EYFS children learn through a topic based curriculum and aspects of geography are woven through when applicable in line with the early learning goals. Children become with familiar with the school environment, including classrooms, playgrounds, and the church. In addition, they explore the common and are taken to different environments on school trips, such as to the farm.
In Years 1-6, Teachers can choose to deliver geography on a weekly basis for the duration of the half-term, or they can block it in bigger chunks.

The detail of where all the aspects of the geography curriculum are taught, can be seen in the table below. Each year group also has a curriculum map and the aspects of the geography curriculum designated to that year group have been allocated in the two half-terms where geography will be a focus and in other half-terms if there is a direct link to the overall topic being delivered.

Where possible teachers will use a variety of learning styles to ensure that all children have access to the curriculum.  Children will get opportunities to use physical resources such as maps, globes and compasses as well as to explore the geography of their school and its grounds. Teachers strive to meet the needs of all individual learners in their teaching of geography.  This may include, the planning of practical fieldwork activities which do not require pupils to record in writing, the use of mixed ability pairings or clear explanations/word mapping of more unusual geographical vocabulary.

(Please see our SEND/Equality Statement of Intent/Implementation for more information on ways in which we seek to ensure that all pupils have opportunities to succeed across all curriculum areas).  ​

Impact

In order to ensure the Geography Curriculum offered to the children at RCS is the best and that pupils achieve well, teachers’ plans will be monitored, Geography lessons will be observed, children’s books will be scrutinised and assessments will be collated. During School Council meetings, there will be opportunities for children to comment and make changes to the curriculum they are being offered. In turn, this will ensure the pupils at RCS are ready and confident to embark with more Geography learning at secondary school.