Geography
Intent
At Old Hill Primary School, our geography curriculum aims to inspire curiosity and fascination about the world and the people who live in it. Pupils develop a strong understanding of physical and human geography while learning about diverse environments, cultures and landscapes.
Through the study of geography, pupils learn how places are connected and how people interact with the natural world. They explore key geographical concepts such as location, place, environment, sustainability and change.
Our curriculum also encourages pupils to understand their role as global citizens. By studying a range of countries and environments, pupils develop respect for different cultures and gain an awareness of global challenges such as climate change and environmental sustainability.
Local geography is an important part of our curriculum. Pupils study the geography of Old Hill and the surrounding area to understand how their local environment has changed over time and how it connects to wider regional and global processes.
Implementation
Geography is taught through engaging enquiries and investigations that encourage pupils to explore the world around them and develop key geographical skills.
Lessons focus on developing geographical knowledge alongside important skills such as:
• using maps, atlases and digital mapping tools
• understanding and interpreting geographical data
• conducting fieldwork and observing the local environment
• identifying physical and human geographical features
• understanding the relationships between people and places
Learning is carefully sequenced so that pupils build knowledge progressively as they move through the school. Pupils begin by exploring their immediate surroundings before developing an understanding of the United Kingdom and then studying a range of global locations and environments.
Fieldwork is an important part of the geography curriculum. Pupils carry out local studies and observations of the surrounding area to deepen their understanding of geographical processes and changes in the environment.
Impact
The impact of our geography curriculum is seen in the knowledge and understanding pupils develop as they progress through the school.
Pupils leave Old Hill Primary School with a secure understanding of key geographical concepts and the ability to think critically about the world around them.
They are able to:
• locate countries, continents, oceans and key geographical features
• explain physical processes such as rivers, earthquakes and climate
• understand how human activity affects environments and landscapes
• compare different places and cultures around the world
• use geographical vocabulary and mapping skills confidently
As pupils progress through the school, they develop increasing independence as geographers and are able to ask questions, interpret geographical information and make connections between places and environments.
Geography Curriculum Overview
Our geography curriculum is carefully structured so that pupils build their understanding of the world step by step.
For example:
• In Key Stage 1, pupils learn about their local environment, the United Kingdom, continents and oceans.
• In Lower Key Stage 2, pupils begin to study physical geography such as rivers, mountains and earthquakes.
• In Upper Key Stage 2, pupils explore global environments such as deserts, rainforests and climate systems, as well as investigating issues such as energy and climate change.
A full overview of the geography curriculum for each year group can be found below.
Enrichment Opportunities
At Old Hill Primary School we believe geography should be experienced as well as studied. First-hand experiences and fieldwork play an important role in helping pupils understand geographical processes and the relationship between people and the environment.
Pupils take part in a range of enrichment opportunities that allow them to apply their geographical knowledge and skills in real-world contexts.
These include:
• Local fieldwork around Old Hill, where pupils investigate how the local environment has changed over time and study features of human geography within their community.
• River studies, where pupils investigate river features and processes, helping them understand how water shapes the landscape.
• Coastal fieldwork at the seaside, where pupils explore coastal environments and investigate how physical processes such as erosion and deposition shape coastlines.
• A study of tourism in Weston-super-Mare, where pupils examine how tourism affects local economies, environments and communities.
Through these experiences, pupils develop practical geographical skills including observation, data collection, map work and the interpretation of geographical features.
