Geography - Curriculum Subject Statements

Core Values

Early Years

Foundation Stage

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Friendship, love, faith

Our aim is to inspire in pupils a curiosity about their world. We encourage children to be inquisitive and ask questions and talk about features of their own immediate environment and how environments may vary from each other. We look at maps and share information.

Pupils investigate their local area and a contrasting area in the United Kingdom or abroad, finding out about the environment and the people who live there. Their knowledge of the wider world is expanded.  They learn about the continents and seas and be able to name and locate them. They carry out geographical enquiry inside and outside the classroom.  They begin to ask geographical questions about people, places and environments, and use geographical skills and resources such as maps and photographs.

Children develop their understanding of key geographical knowledge and concepts in a project led series of topics as they progress through Key Stage 2. They further expand their understanding of both the physical and human geography of the UK, Europe and the rest of the World. Children are challenged to make links between different places - their people, their customs, their history - and how this has impacted on life and the landscape in those places. Children increasingly understand the impact of human behaviour and choices on the geography of our planet

EYFS

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. 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.

Location Knowledge

• Discuss their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories and maps.

• name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
• name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

• locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
• name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
• identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)

Place Knowledge

• Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.

• understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

• understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America

Human and physical geography

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

• identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
• use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
  • key physical features, including beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
  • key human features, including city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop

• describe and understand key aspects of:
  • physical geography, including climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
  • human geography, including types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water

Geographical skills and fieldwork

• use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
• use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
• use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
• use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.

• use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
• use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
• use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.

Geography Subject Overview Grid

Year Group/Class

EYFS

FS1/ FS1&FS2

Year 1

Year 2

Y3

Y4

Y5

Y6

Autumn 1

Our local environment-Maps

Where does our food come from?

Introduction to ‘Countryside Explorers’.

Our Local area

The Mayans-Climate and landscape of North America

Autumn 2

Where does Santa live?

Habitats African/Arctic

Seasons/Weather

Our World

Maps

4-figure grid references

Spring 1

Exploring the world we live in

Weather

Mountain Rescue

Countryside Explorers

The Lakes and the Alps Comparative Study 

Spring 2

Life in other countries

Caring for living things

The UK

-

Eastern Europe

Summer 1

Looking after our world

Maps

Orienteering (compass points) 

SATS

Mighty Mountains

Rainforests

Trade and Economics

Summer 2

Caring for living things

Seasonal daily weather patterns

Contrasting Locality

Maps Skills Orienteering

Rivers

EYFS

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Geographical enquiry

Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them.

Teacher led enquiries, to ask and respond to simple closed questions.

Use information books/pictures as sources of information.

Investigate their surroundings

Make observations about where things are e.g. within school or local area.

Children encouraged to ask simple geographical questions; Where is it? What's it like? 

Use NF books, stories, maps, pictures/photos and internet as sources of information. 

Investigate their surroundings

Make appropriate observations about why things happen.

Make simple comparisons between features of different places.

Begin to ask/initiate geographical questions.

Use NF books, stories, atlases, pictures/photos and internet as sources of information.

Investigate places and themes at more than one scale

Begin to collect and record evidence

Analyse evidence and begin to draw conclusions e.g. make comparisons between two locations using photos/ pictures, temperatures in different locations.

Ask and respond to questions and offer their own ideas.

Extend to satellite images, aerial photographs

Investigate places and themes at more than one scale

Collect and record evidence with some aid

Analyse evidence and draw conclusions e.g. make comparisons between locations photos/pictures/ maps

Begin to suggest questions for investigating

Begin to use primary and secondary sources of evidence in their investigations.

Investigate places with more emphasis on the larger scale; contrasting and distant places

Collect and record evidence unaided

Analyse evidence and draw conclusions e.g. compare historical maps of varying scales e.g. temperature of various locations - influence on people/everyday life

Suggest questions for investigating

Use primary and secondary sources of evidence in their investigations.

Investigate places with more emphasis on the larger scale; contrasting and distant places

Collect and record evidence unaided

Analyse evidence and draw conclusions   e.g. from field work data on land use comparing land use/temperature, look at patterns and explain reasons behind it

Direction/Location

Follow directions (Up, down, left/right, forwards/backwards)

Follow directions (as yr. 1 and inc’. NSEW)

Use 4 compass points to follow/give directions: 

Use letter/no. co-ordinates to locate features on a map.

Use 4 compass points well

Begin to use 8 compass points;

Use letter/no. co-ordinates to locate features on a map confidently.

Use 8 compass points;

Begin to use 4 figure coordinates to locate features on a map.

Use 8 compass points confidently and accurately;

Use 4 figure co-ordinates confidently to locate features on a map.

Begin to use 6 figure grid refs; use latitude and longitude on atlas maps.

Drawing maps

Draw maps from stories and of our school.

Draw picture maps of imaginary places and from stories.

Draw a map of a real or imaginary place. (e.g. add detail to a sketch map from aerial photograph)

Try to make a map of a short route experienced, with features in correct order;

Try to make a simple scale drawing.

Make a map of a short route experienced, with features in correct order;

Make a simple scale drawing.

Begin to draw a variety of thematic maps based on their own data.

Draw a variety of thematic maps based on their own data.

Begin to draw plans of increasing complexity.

Representation

Use own symbols on imaginary map.

Begin to understand the need for a key.

Use class agreed symbols to make a simple key.

Know why a key is needed.

Use standard symbols.

Know why a key is needed.

Begin to recognise symbols on an OS map.

Draw a sketch map using symbols and a key;

Use/recognise OS map symbols.

Use/recognise OS map symbols

Use atlas symbols.

Using maps

Look at local maps and maps from stories.

Use a simple picture map to move around the school;

Recognise that it is about a place.

Follow a route on a map.

Use a plan view.

Use an infant atlas to locate places.

Locate places on larger scale maps e.g. map of Europe.

Follow a route on a map with some accuracy. (e.g. whilst orienteering)

Locate places on large scale maps, (e.g. Find UK or India on globe)

Follow a route on a large-scale map.

Compare maps with aerial photographs.

Select a map for a specific purpose.  (E.g. Pick atlas to find Taiwan, OS map to find local village.) 

Begin to use atlases to find out about other features of places. (e.g. find wettest part of the world)

Follow a short route on an OS map.  Describe features shown on OS map.

Locate places on a world map. 

Use atlases to find out about other features of places. (e.g. mountain regions, weather patterns)

Scale/Distance

Use relative vocabulary (e.g.  bigger/smaller, like/dislike)

Begin to spatially match places (e.g. recognise UK on a small scale and larger scale map)

Begin to match boundaries (E.g. find same boundary of a country on different scale maps.)

Begin to match boundaries (E.g. find same boundary of a county on different scale maps.)

Measure straight line distance on a plan.

Find/recognise places on maps of different scales.  (E.g. river Nile.)

Use a scale to measure distances.

Draw/use maps and plans at a range of scales.

Perspective

Draw around objects to make a plan.

Look down on objects to make a plan view map.

Begin to draw a sketch map from a high viewpoint.

Draw a sketch map from a high viewpoint.  

Draw a plan view map with some accuracy.

Draw a plan view map accurately.

Map knowledge

Draw information from a simple map.

Learn names of some places within/around the UK. E.g. Home town, cities, countries e.g. Wales, France.

Locate and name on UK map major features e.g. London, River Thames, home location, seas.

Begin to identify points on maps A,B and C 

Begin to identify significant places and environments 

Identify significant places and environments

Confidently identify significant places and environments

Style of map

Picture maps, aerial maps and globes.

Picture maps and globes

Find land/sea on globe.

Use teacher drawn base maps.

Use large scale OS maps.

Use an infant atlas

Use large scale OS maps.

Begin to use map sites on internet.

Begin to use junior atlases.

Begin to identify features on aerial/oblique photographs.

Use large and medium scale OS maps.

Use junior atlases.

Use map sites on internet.

Identify features on aerial/oblique photographs.

Use index and contents page within atlases.

Use medium scale land ranger OS maps.

Use OS maps.

Confidently use an atlas.

Recognise world map as a flattened globe.