Geography at St. Peter’s

At St. Peter’s, our aims, vision and values are at the core of everything we do.

We are guided by the key message of our Mission Statement,

'If we follow Jesus, the world will follow us.'

They define our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, capable, resilient and responsible citizens able to enjoy a healthy life to the full.

Our inclusive school community works in partnership in meeting the responsibility of developing each child in every way – spiritually, emotionally, academically, physically and socially because each child, a unique creation of God and loved by God, deserves this.

We deliver the Geography curriculum through the unique approach of the St. Peter’s Family.

Why is Geography important at St. Peter’s?

• Geography will foster pupils’ curiosity and fascination of the world and its people.
• Pupils will have the knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments.
• Pupils will have a deep understanding of Earth’s key physical and human processes.
• Pupils’ growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes.
• Pupils will develop local, national and international knowledge of the world including their defining physical and human characteristics.
• Pupils will learn about their local area and town and how it has changed over time.
• They will develop their knowledge and understanding of different countries in the world such as Brazil and India.

What are the key knowledge concepts in Geography at St. Peter’s?

What are the key Geography subject discipline skills?

• Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes.
• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.
• Become competent in the geographical skills needed to: 
• Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes.                                                                                   
• Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).                                                          
• Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

How does St. Peter’s ensure progression in our key knowledge and concepts in Geography?

• Our curriculum identifies points where comparisons can be made between each year group.
• Key concepts are revisited each year to consolidate pupils understanding.
• Knowledge taught builds on prior learning and is therefore more in depth.
• Increasing complexity of subject-specific vocabulary is expected.
• Children are able to make comparisons between local, regional, national and international localities that have been studied.
• Knowledge organisers show precise knowledge and vocabulary that children are learning in each topic, with children adding what they think is important each lesson.
• Children develop their knowledge and understanding using a range of sources including maps, atlases, globes, and digital/computer-mapping to locate places, countries and continents.
• Pupils can talk about a range of diverse places and people using subject specific vocabulary.
• Children have an excellent knowledge of key geographical vocabulary and can confidently apply it in the correct context.
• Pupils have a growing knowledge about the world and a deep understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
• Pupils will communicate geographical information in a variety of ways e.g. through maps, numerical and quantities skills and writing at length.

How do we know our children have made progress?

End points

FS children can:

• Talk about things that are the same or different in relation to places and objects.
• Talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how they may vary from others.
• Use words to express their opinion e.g. busy, quiet, pollution.
• Use sources such as maps, atlases, non-fiction books, photographs, globes and talking to people to find out information.
• Develop their opinion about natural and built environments.
• Talk about places that they have visited.
• Use appropriate words e.g. town, village, road, houses, flats to make distinctions in their observations.

End points

KS1 children can:

• Name and locate the world’s seven continents and 5 oceans.
• Name, locate and identify characteristics of the 4 countries in the United Kingdom.
• Understand similarities and differences of a small area of the UK and contrasting non- European country.
• Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK.
• Locate hot and cold areas of the world.
• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key human and physical features.
• Use world maps, atlases and globes.
• Use simple compass directions and positional language.

End points

Year 6 children can:

• Locate the world’s countries, continents and oceans using a range of sources.
• Locate and name characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features.
• Name and locate counties and cities of the UK including key topographical features (i.e. hills, mountains, coasts).
• Talk about land-use patterns and understand how these aspects have changed over time.
• Identify the position and significance of different key points around the globe (latitude, longitude, equator, hemispheres, Arctic and Antarctic Circle).
• Understand geographical similarities and differences of a UK region, a region in a European country and a region within North or South America.
• Describe key aspects of physical and human geography.
• Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features that have been studied.
• Use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys to build their knowledge of the UK and the wider world.
• Use field work to observe, measure, record and present human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods i.e. sketch maps, plans, graphs, digital technologies.

In Geography lessons, as in all aspects of the curriculum, children are true to their faith.

This can be summarised through one line taken from our Mission Statement:

‘We are happy when we do our best in our work and play’.