Intent

At Asquith we want our children to be interested and excited about the world in which they live. We want our children to be inquisitive about where they live and the wider world, to ask questions and to learn about the diversity of people, places, natural and human environments. At Asquith we follow the EYFS and the National Curriculum.

Many children join us with little knowledge about the world around them. We take learning right back to their starting point and build upon it. We teach geographical skills and knowledge in a systematic way, beginning with the local area and moving to the wider world. This enables children to relate to something that they have a concrete knowledge of before considering more abstract concepts. Our curriculum is designed to provide our children with the geographical vocabulary they need to describe, question and discuss the world.

We want our children to leave us with a solid foundation of geographical skills and locational knowledge. They will know where Mansfield is in the world and a will have a knowledge of the wider world.

Implementation

Based upon the National Curriculum, the EYFS curriculum and the individual needs of our children, we have created a Geography progression map, which sets out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary taught in each year group. Our progression map ensures that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically.

We ensure that each term we have a geography focus, so that geographical skills and knowledge are regularly reviewed and built upon. Topics are designed to be inspiring and to build upon previously taught knowledge and skills. In Key Stage 2, topics are taught on a two-year rolling program because we have mixed year group classes. In our EYFS, geography is interwoven throughout the year taking advantage of the opportunities to explore the school environment during different seasons.

Children’s geographical learning starts with the familiar and slowly builds outwards. We begin with what children know and can see, giving geography real meaning. In our EYFS, we focus on our immediate environment, describing what we can see and where things are. In Key Stage One we explore the local area, and where we are in the world. In year 2 we look at the wider world exploring continents and oceans through our Explorers topic. We are lucky at Asquith to have many families who have joined us from Nigeria. In year 2 we take a closer look at Calabar in Nigeria and contrast it with Mansfield. This inspires children’s curiosity about the world and allows children to share their own knowledge. In KS2, children gain a greater knowledge of places in the UK, Europe and North America. Progression within the curriculum is clear: it starts with what is familiar to children and extends outwards.

At Asquith, we revisit and recall knowledge from prior learning and then build upon it. We provide opportunities for children to practise until they reach fluency with their geographical skills. Fieldwork is an important part of our Geography curriculum. Geographical skills are taught in the classroom and then applied in the real world, with a real purpose. Children use their geographical skills to find, measure, discover, answer questions and communicate their findings. We know from talking to our pupils, that they love applying their skills outside of the classroom. Fieldwork inspires them, opens their eyes to the geography all around them and creates memorable experiences which supports long term learning and recall. We also learn about our place in the world and our responsibilities for it. This is reinforced through our school Eco group who learn about, implement and educate others on ways to help the environment.

Impact

Through our geography curriculum, we will ensure that our learners are equipped with the geographical skills and knowledge they will need for secondary school and for life in the wider world. Children will have a deeper knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. They will have a curiosity about the world and the people in it, appreciating difference. They will understand the impact humans are having on the environment, both locally and globally, and they will know how they can make a positive difference.