At Highfield Primary School we believe that a high-quality Geography curriculum should inspire curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Our children develop a deep knowledge of both the physical and human geography of the local environment, the UK and the wider world. Our curriculum is designed to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, at Highfield Primary School now and in the future.

Our Geography Curriculum is designed to:

• enable children to be inspired, show curiosity and fascination about the world and its people 
• equip children with an understanding of diverse places, people, resources and environments 
• allow children to build upon their prior learning about physical and human processes and the formation and use of landscapes and environments 
• develop the children’s understanding that the Earth’s physical features are interconnected and change over time
• encourage exploration of our environment and support children in making connections between their local surroundings and that of contrasting settlements 
• systematically develop the children’s disciplinary knowledge through the process of asking enquiry questions
• develop the children’s geographical fieldwork skills in the components of data collection and the interpretation of maps, globes, diagrams and aerial photographs
• evaluate the impact of physical and human geography on the world through enquiry and debate

These aims are embedded across our Geography lessons and in the wider curriculum.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (E.Y.F.S.) setting, our Geography provision is delivered through the Specific Area: Understanding the World.

In Nursery our children are taught to:

• begin to understand the need to respect and care for the natural environment and all living things
• know that there are different countries in the world
• talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photos

In Reception our children are taught to:

• draw information from a simple map
• recognise some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries
• explore the natural world around them
• recognise some environments that are different to the one in which they live

In the E.Y.F.S, Geography is taught through a thematic approach, which enables the children to explore their knowledge and understanding of the world in context.

In Key Stages One and Two Geography is taught in weekly blocks. This approach enables children to have a more focused and immersive experience so that knowledge can become more deeply embedded and previous knowledge recalled quickly and built upon sequentially.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that exciting and engaging units, relevant to our children, provide solid building blocks to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and concepts. Tasks are carefully selected, adapted and designed to provide appropriate challenges to all learners and to develop independent working and confidence. In order to nurture and develop our children’s critical thinking skills, extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom are embedded into all practice.

Ultimately, our aim is that our children will develop knowledge of their environment, through real and relevant experiences, an understanding of the interconnected and dynamic nature of the world, and the challenges that we will all face in the future. Children will enjoy personal achievement through an engaging curriculum, where they are supported to develop knowledge and skills that will prepare them for the next stage in their journey, as well as how to be active, responsible citizens of the world.