Geography
Intent
“Geography is a subject which holds the key to our future.”
Michael Palin
At Falla Park Community Primary School, our Geography curriculum is built to capture and nurture our children’s natural curiosity about the world around them through engaging explorations that begin in their local community and extend to the wider world. We encourage our children to ask and answer important questions, think critically and use their Geography knowledge to inspire them in their future prospects. Through the teaching of Geography, we aim to inspire children to become responsible, respectful, and proactive individuals who are empowered to make a positive impact on the world. By fostering a deep appreciation for diverse places and cultures, we hope to instil a lifelong passion for discovery and a commitment to a brighter future.
Implementation
In Early Years, our curriculum is based on the seven areas of learning and development. We recognise that our learning in Geography focuses on developing our children’s understanding of the world around them and their place within it. As a result, our children learn through a range of experiences and activities designed to support them in beginning to understand their place in our world. Initially, we use our immediate natural environment, including our Forest School area, to capture our children’s interests. With the support of experienced adults, we want our youngest children to develop their sense of enquiry and responsibility, particularly around the care of our environment. We love to celebrate the diversity of our school and the places our school community comes from. Through the use of stories, maps and photographs our children begin to understand that there are different countries in the world and are able to talk about the differences they can see.
From Year 1 to Year 6, children study structured units of work covering diverse geographical topics, ensuring full coverage of the National Curriculum. We want to foster a love for our local area with our children, therefore, each class has a topic studying an aspect of our local area. Ensuring a progression of skill but also a deepening and widening knowledge. Our Geography curriculum is continuing to evolve to remain relevant with our everchanging world and the contemporary issues our children will face, such as climate change, migration and urban development. Through our Current Affairs class assemblies, children are encouraged to engage with Geography in the news, ask thoughtful questions and explore solutions to real-world problems.
“Geography plays a crucial role in understanding our world. It helps us to be more environmentally sensitive, better informed and more responsible as citizens.”
The Royal Geographical Society
In all Geography lessons, our teachers use varied teaching approaches; these include but are not limited to interactive discussions, trips and visits and multimedia resources. Ensuring we cater to the different learning styles of our children. Children develop their geographical skills through the use of maps, atlases and digital tools, including Digimaps. To bring the world into our classrooms, Oddizzi is used to share interactive field trips. To build Geographical connections for our children, our teachers (where possible) will collaborate learning with other subjects, including Science, History and Maths.
Impact
Children will leave Falla Park with a comprehensive understanding of diverse geographical topics. They will be able to recall key geographical facts and use relevant topic vocabulary. Our children will have acquired map skills and be able to collect and interpret data through field work studies.
Most importantly, our children will have developed a positive attitude towards the environment and begin to foster a sense of responsibility and empathy towards global issues. They will feel prepared for an increasingly interconnected world, where geographical knowledge and skills are essential for informed decision-making.
Geography Curriculum Overview
