Geography

Subject Intent Statement:

We aim to provide a high quality geography curriculum through a project-based learning approach. As pupils progress through the school, we aim to provide practical and interactive activities to deepen and secure their knowledge and understanding. Children have opportunities to develop specific skills such as fieldwork and map work, as well as interpreting photos and data. Where possible studies will always be linked back to their locality.

Geography lessons at Bowmandale should inspire in children a curiosity, empathy and understanding about the world and its people. We endeavour to teach Geography through a skills based approach ensuring that skills progress in line with the National Curriculum and the specific expectations for any given year group.

At Bowmandale, we begin teaching Geography to our youngest members in EYFS by providing opportunities to look at a range of simple maps and non-fiction books and talk about these informally. The children are encouraged to look at simple similarities and differences in the world around them and take time to explore the natural world through their play.

We move this forward in Key Stage One by looking at maps that show the countries of the United Kingdom and also world maps showing continents and oceans. We will also look at the capital cities of the UK. Children will have opportunities to compare features of places and explore features that are man made or natural. The school grounds and local area will be used for fieldwork.

As the children progress into Key Stage Two, skills and knowledge will be built upon by developing use of equipment such as compasses in order to locate one place in reference to another. Ordnance Survey maps will be used to develop map reading skills such as the use of keys and grid references. They will develop their knowledge of the local area by becoming map makers. Field work will be more in depth giving the children further opportunity to compare a wider range of features of a landscape close by and further afield.

In the Spring Term a selection of EYFS and KS1 children chose to do some “fairy fieldwork” linked to our Geography knowledge and skills. The children created fairy worlds in our Forest School area and then, using a bird’s eye view photograph, created a map with a north arrow, a title and a key.