Our Approach
Early Years In our Early Years classes, Geography is developed through the children’s Understanding of the World topics and through their interaction with their family members, friends and wider community.
In Key Stages 1 and 2 we teach blocked units; each class completes three per year.
Key Stage 1 Children are encouraged to use maps, atlases and globes to locate the UK’s four countries and capital cities. Children also locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans. They investigate geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom and then contrast it to that of a non-European country.
Key Stage 2 Children identify the key features of an area (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), research land-use patterns and find out how some of these aspects have changed over time. They learn about the position and significance of latitude, longitude, the equator and the Prime/Greenwich Meridian time zones (including day and night). They also learn about the northern and southern hemispheres, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. Children will record their learning in different ways, such as labelled drawings, sketches, plans, maps or writing.
How can parents help?
- When you are out and about in your local community, talk about what is happening around you
- Discuss places, the environment and how it has changed and the reasons why it has changed
- Ask questions about what you see
- When you are travelling to places, talk about why you are going there
- If you are using a map, encourage your child to help you find a town or city with you. Discuss the route.
- When you go on holiday discuss how the places you visit are similar or different to where you live
- Use your local library to find answers to questions that your child might be asking
- Watch the news and keep up with current affairs to help deepen their understanding of global issues
- Use websites such as the BBC News website:bbc.co.uk/news to discuss current affairs relating to Geography (eg floods)
Links:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/geography.shtml
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/
https://www.internet4classrooms.com/social_geography.htm
https://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/
https://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/brilliant-geography-ideas-tried-and-tested-tips-lessons/45547