Geography at Tanworth-in-Arden

Intent

At Tanworth-in-Arden we aim to inspire pupils with a curiosity about the world and its people that will last a lifetime. Our geography curriculum enables pupils to gain knowledge of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments. Through the seven geographical concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, scale, sustainability and change, pupils develop an understanding of the world around them and their role within it.

We want pupils to:

• Develop secure locational knowledge and an awareness of the wider world

• Understand human and physical processes and how they shape places over time

• Use fieldwork and enquiry skills to ask and answer questions about the world around them

• Build an appreciation of how geography links with other subjects and supports wider learning

• Become responsible global citizens who understand the importance of sustainability and interdependence

Implementation

Geography is taught through carefully planned units that build progressively from Reception to Year 6, ensuring coverage of the National Curriculum and our seven key concepts. Each year group revisits and deepens their understanding of place and space, while also exploring concepts such as environment, change, interconnection, scale and sustainability at appropriate stages.

• Early Years and KS1 focus on pupils’ immediate environment, their homes and local area, before broadening into the UK and contrasting countries. Fieldwork skills such as simple mapping and using directional language are introduced early.

• Lower KS2 build on these foundations by exploring settlements, rivers, deserts and Europe. Pupils develop skills in observation, sketching, map work and identifying human and physical features at different scales.

• Upper KS2 extend their knowledge globally, studying the Americas, Greece, Brazil and the Amazon, as well as physical geography such as mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes. Fieldwork becomes more complex, involving OS maps, grid references, contour lines and thematic maps.

• Fieldwork and enquiry are integral at all stages, allowing pupils to collect, record, analyse and present geographical data in a variety of ways.

• Cross-curricular links are made where possible, for example with history (Romans, WW2), science (rivers, climate) and PSHE (sustainability and global citizenship).

Resources such as atlases, globes, digital maps and online data tools are used alongside outdoor learning to bring geography to life.

Impact

By the time they leave Tanworth-in-Arden, pupils will:

• Have secure knowledge of the world’s continents, countries and key physical and human features

• Be confident in using geographical vocabulary and skills, including fieldwork, mapping and enquiry

• Understand how people and environments are interconnected and how actions at different scales can affect change

• Be able to compare and contrast places, cultures and environments both locally and globally

• Appreciate the importance of sustainability and be able to discuss challenges facing our world

• Be prepared for secondary school geography with strong foundations of knowledge, skills and curiosity

Digimaps

As a school we subscribe to Digimaps which is a digital map service.  It enables the children to study maps in Geography lessons or planning actual routes that they will then walk, mapping a route and adding any photos or notes onto a map for later reference.  The children are also able to compare old maps and look at how areas have changed over time. Below are some ideas about how Digimaps can be used at home. If you would like to access the school's Digimaps account then please speak to Miss Hodges.