Geography

Geography:  Why we live where we do

At Monkhouse, we believe all children will be ambitious, courageous, resilient, respectful and kind so that they fulfil their unique potential and become active members of the wider global community. We aim to ignite a passion for learning and exploring Geography, as it teaches children about the world they live in and their place in this world; through Geography, we hope to inspire children to enquire and analyse their world and their impact on it.

At Monkhouse, we provide a broad, balanced and progressive Geography curriculum which is integrated into other areas of the curriculum, where appropriate. In Geography, our curriculum is designed to allow the children to learn about ‘why we live where we do’, this mantra alongside key geographical concepts; settlement, weather, climate, trade, place and locational knowledge and map and field work are underlying features of lessons and are planned for in order to allow curriculum links to be made and to promote critical thinking. This helps children to develop an awareness of their position in the world and actively link their knowledge across the curriculum. Through the teaching of Geography we aim to equip pupils with disciplinary skills and confidence to innovate their knowledge of Geography, to be able to enquire, interpret, analyse and problem solve. We aim to equip pupils with the understanding and curiosity to ask questions and think critically about their world. We hope to inspire children to see the world beyond their own locality and community and we aim to provide them with the skills and confidence to make meaning to learning. Thus, developing young geographers who are able to make links and connections between the natural world and human activity and to understand the kind of questions geographers ask. This helps children to develop an awareness of their position in the world, their values, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment.

EYFS - Understanding the World - Building the foundations of learning 

In the EYFS educators will prepare children for the primary geography curriculum through three aspects; My Home and Special Places to Me; Community, Local Environment and Beyond and Early Geographical Skills. We support and promote children to make sense of their world, through developing their natural curiosity, and exploration of the world around them, noticing all kinds of detail. Children will be encouraged to talk about and share their experiences of their home and special places; developing understanding of their own homes and gardens and looking at similarities and differences between their home and that of others. We will also promote places the children name and create  for themselves, such as the dens where they hide out with their friends. In the aspect of Community, Local Environment and Beyond, children will begin to develop geographical vocabulary including the names of places, people and things. Learning will be enriched through trips, exploration of the school grounds and local environment, role play, small world, stories, texts and the internet.  At Monkhouse, children’s early geographical skills are developed through the promotion of exploring, observing, and finding out about people, places and the environment. We encourage children to talk and ask questions to make sense of the world and our impact on it – developing an early sense that geography is all about enquiry. We develop spatial awareness through exploring maps - drawing pretend maps in relation to a stimulus or story, and using simple maps in response to their experiences. 

The geography curriculum is enhanced through engaging real life concepts. Children have the opportunity to explore their local and wider area, through visits and fieldwork.  Children have the opportunity to utilise different forms of mapping and to utilise ICT and primary research tools. Children are provided with the opportunity to develop their cultural horizons  through the school’s International School status. Learning is further enriched through the school’s International school’s status as the school hosts many visitors from the wider global community. 

Over the course of the year, we offer opportunities for children to work collaboratively on geography projects both in school and with our wider collaborative group of schools. We participate in a whole school assemblies to mark key Geographical days and events as well as significant anniversaries, such as the 125th of the National Trust. Some children are also given the opportunity to work collaboratively with schools across the local area in the Trail and challenge at Rising Sun Country Park, this provides opportunity for children to use and further develop their map and orienteering skills.

What Geography looks like in our school

At Monkhouse, each year group will use a geography knowledge organiser which is specific to the area of geographical knowledge and skills to be taught.   Each organiser clearly sets out what we will cover, including key information and facts designed to allow children to learn about ‘why we live where we do’ as well as specific geographical vocabulary. The knowledge for that unit is progressive and builds on the knowledge taught in previous year groups and is specifically tailored to focus on our geographical theme.  At the beginning of each geography lesson, we will revisit and identify the area place of study on a standardised world map. We explicitly model the links between prior learning and new learning, to support children to learn more and remember more. 

In KS1 the Geography curriculum will provide all pupils with the opportunity to develop their knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. Pupils  will be taught to understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observations, to enhance their locational awareness. In KS2, the Geography curriculum will provide all pupils the opportunity to extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. Pupils will be taught to develop their use of geographical knowledge and promote their skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.  They will name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key geographical features and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time. Children will interpret a range of sources of geographical information constructed from a range of sources (maps, globes, atlases, charts, tables and aerial photographs) they will collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes.

Aspirations