"The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together" - Barack Obama

Intent

Our Geography curriculum at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery intends to inspire children’s curiosity and interest in the world that we live in and its people. We intend to equip children with geographical knowledge and skills through studying places, people and natural and human environments. This seeks to deepen the understanding of the Earth’s human and physical forms and processes. Geography, by nature, is an investigative subject. Through the learning opportunities we provide at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery, children are encouraged to discover answers to their own questions. Exploration and research will enable children to gain a greater understanding and knowledge of the world and their place in it. We ensure that geography is a subject that every child can achieve and be successful in and we aim to instil a love of learning about the world so that children are keen to continue their future learning in geography.  

During Geography teaching, lessons and provision, we provide opportunities for all children to:

• Continue to develop awe and wonder about the world around them.
• Think and work like geographers.
• Build on previously learnt knowledge, deepening their understanding of geography year on year.
• Be part of knowledge rich Geography lessons based around our geography concepts of location, human geography and physical geography.
• Expand their vocabulary with technical and geographical words that are explicitly taught and then regularly used in lessons.
• Make connections with other subjects and life experiences.

Implementation

Geography at Maidenbower Infant School follows an ambitious and progressive knowledge and skills based sequence of learning from Nursery through to Year 2.  This is based on the Statutory National Curriculum, but we ensure our curriculum is adapted to be bespoke for our school, our local area and community needs. We believe in children learning about their local environment first in Reception, children in Year 1 begin to branch out their understanding of the world by developing a sound knowledge of the United Kingdom and its countries (national) and then Year 2 broadening their knowledge of the wider world and comparing the UK with other countries (international). This ensures that children can build on prior knowledge and skills and will therefore know more and remember more over time. We believe that ‘what happens early, happens for a lifetime’ and this is kept at the forefront with all geographical teaching and learning. We alternate our Geography and History topics to ensure that children receive a well-rounded teaching of the humanities subjects throughout the year.

Our school environment allows us to teach children about their local area, giving them opportunities to observe and interpret a range of sources such as maps, aerial photographs and their own first-hand experiences from field work. We are passionate about children learning about the world around them practically. We experience the outside as much as possible, ensuring learning is enriched and exciting.

Impact

To measure the impact of geography teaching and learning at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery, we use a range of formative assessment strategies (e.g. retrieval opportunities, quizzes, ‘brain dumps’, children presenting their learning in different ways, ‘speak like an expert’). This supports teachers to make accurate assessments about children’s geographical understanding. Teaching and learning in Geography is carefully monitored across the school and evidence of this is through subject leader learning walks, collecting pupil voice and staff regularly reflecting and adapting our bespoke geography curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils.

As a result of our carefully planned, progressive and enriching geography curriculum, children are enthusiastic about geography and demonstrate curiosity about their home and the wider world.

By the end of Year 2, children at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery will:

• Have developed the knowledge and skills needed to help them explore, navigate and understand the world around them and their place in it.
• Be competent geographers, equipped with the knowledge and skills ready for future learning.
• Have a good understanding about diverse places, people and physical and human environments.
• Have acquired life skills such as map reading and making careful observations
• Understand key geographical vocabulary relating to human, physical and locational geography and be able to talk confidently with empathy about the world in which they live.
• Be able to make links between Maidenbower and the wider world, using correct geographical vocabulary.
• Be able to describe similarities and differences in physical and human features.

Our geography curriculum ignites that spark that we have the power to improve things for the future generations - our keen geographers are also advocates for the future of planet earth.