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St Nicolas' Church of England Infant School

Living life in all its fullness

Geography

Intent - Our Vision

At St Nics' we want our children to:

Develop a range of geographical skills and know how to apply them.
Understand that the world and people’s lives vary from place to place.
Gain a geographical perspective on their local environment and the wider world.
Be able to apply their knowledge to understand connections between places.
To consider the value of different geographical skills and resources.
Appreciate and celebrate cultural traditions, arts and influences in Britain and around the world.

Since COVID:

We have particularly focused on building the children's understanding and use of geographical vocabulary with a range of contexts.

Implementation - How we will deliver this to achieve our goal

Cross curricular learning helps children to make links between geography and other areas of learning.
We provide first hand experiences, including cultural activities, cooking, trips and visitors.
A 'decolonised' curriculum which celebrates the part diversity has played in the development of our own and other cultures.
Use of high quality books, resources, materials and online resources inspire and deepen learning.
By providing opportunities for awe and wonder, including problem solving and the element of surprise when introducing new topics.
Opportunities to explore concepts for themselves through continuous provision approach deepen and embed the learning.
Encouragement to ask own questions using discussion, working walls and Wondering Walls, and to seek answers, during which children apply the research skills they have been taught.
World Church collective worship fortnightly introduces an understanding of similarities and differences across the world.
Pause Days include Christmas and Easter traditions and celebrations across the world.
Birthday assemblies include birthday celebrations and traditions from around the world.
Family links are celebrated (family strings in Yr1, dreamcatchers in Yr2 and linked to Computing with the use of technology at home to build relationships and links).
School links with Uganda bring a practical, real-life connection to a far away place and its people.
Use of the art of discussion to prompt and inspire questioning and curiosity about the world
Teachers' first-hand experience of travel and the world enriches the subject.

Impact - How we know our vision has come to fruition

Our children are ready for the next stage of their educational journey, leaving us:

With an enthusiastic interest in geography, inspired and motivated to continue to learn.
Able to make links and reason about geographical questions and ideas.
Able to apply knowledge to new situations.
Transferring knowledge of the world and how this could impact on the future, using higher order thinking skills.
An understanding of geography and how to use sources.
Interested in and appreciative of the natural and human geography of the world around us.
Appreciative of the rich variety of cultures and cultural influences in Britain and around the world.

Skills Progression: Geography St Nicolas’ Infant School
In KS1, statements in bold are non-negotiable in order to reach Expected Standard (no Greater Depth option).
Skill	Reception EYFS	Year 1	Year 2
Locational Knowledge	Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.	Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans. Name and locate the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas.	Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans. Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas.
Place Knowledge	Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.	Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom and a contrasting non-European country – relate to children’s own experience.	Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom and a small area of a contrasting non-European country – through comparison of specific areas.
Human and Physical Geography	n/a	Knowing vocabulary: Key physical features including – beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather. Key human features including – city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop.	Applying knowledge of vocabulary to describe specific places. referring to basic human and physical features. Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North or South Poles.
Geographical Skills and Fieldwork	Opportunities to observe the immediate surroundings at the new ‘perch’ in the library with binoculars, observing birds wildlife, trees and topography.	Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of the school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment. Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features.	Devise and use a simple map and use and construct basic symbols in a key.
Geographical Skills and Fieldwork	Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps.	Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied in KS1. Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far, left and right] to describe the location of features and routes on a map.	Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied in KS1. Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far, left and right] to describe the location of features and routes on a map.