St John Bosco R. C. Primary
SchoolGeography
Geography Curriculum Information January 2024
Intention
At St John Bosco RC Primary School, we are dedicated to providing our pupils with a comprehensive and adaptable Geography curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. We intend for our children to have a wide experience of Geography enabling them to use the skills they have learnt to support independent reflection and learning in their futures.
Our Geography provision uses the CUSP scheme of work but this is adapted to suit the unique context of our school. Our intention is that our children are able to have a wider experience, appreciation of knowledge of the world and its Geography.
To further personalise the curriculum for our unique catchment area, local Geography is taught through a focus on our local area.
Our Geography curriculum units each have a vocabulary element to them; this includes the technical language required and also tier 2 vocabulary which they can understand and use across the curriculum.
At St John Bosco RC Primary School, we consider mental wellbeing to be paramount to the academic success of pupils. Via Geography (and other areas of the curriculum) we intend to foster warm and supportive communication that will enable every child to thrive. We intend that our pupils will be able to work with confidence across the different areas of the Geography curriculum. Some may discover a passion; others will gain knowledge as well as skills.
In Practice
In EYFS, Geography relates to the specific area of learning “Understanding the world.” Through direct teaching and continuous provision, children begin to learn about People, Culture and Communities or The Natural World through daily activities and exploring their locality and immediate environment. Pupils in EYFS explore globes and world locations, making links to where animals live. This takes place through direct teaching as well as through continuous provision both inside and via our outdoor learning area.
Geography learning at St John Bosco is based on the following substantive concepts: locational knowledge; place knowledge, human and physical geography and geographical skills and fieldwork.
From Year 1 to 6 Geography is taught discretely as a subject but the timing of the lesson is at the discretion of the teacher, taking into account the requirements of each piece of work. For example rather than a weekly Geography lesson for half a term, a teacher may teach to do 3 afternoons of Geography consecutively. Texts in English may link with Geography topics to enable deeper understanding of the aspects of Geography studied and bring areas of the world to life through the places and characters' experiences in the stories. Trips and experiences are also arranged to support learning in Geography.
Children have Geography exercise books to record their learning. Knowledge notes with key information are used for each lesson and children annotate these with additional facts and references. In order to embed learning Socrative quizzes are used alongside the knowledge notes to support the retention of information during the course of a topic.
Our afterschool book club (which is always oversubscribed) regularly reads novels set in other countries which enhances the children’s engagement with the subject further.
Cross-Curricular Links: We aim to integrate Geography into other subjects. Computing strategies are used to present information and Art and Design technology can also be linked to the Geography curriculum (this differs from year group to year group). We also have a cross curricula orienteering course in the school grounds which is used regularly across different subjects, this further enhances children’s map and fieldwork skills.
Homework:
No homework is set for Geography.
How Parents Can Help:
The curriculum content may appear daunting, but don’t panic — you are already an accomplished geographer! Your daily life constantly provides you with rich geographical experiences, information and understanding. You think and act geographically, often without realising it. It comes naturally … as you navigate your way around your home and neighbourhood; as you make sense of local and world news; as you respond to the weather forecast, as you decide on a holiday location and how to get there.
When out and about in your local area, you can help your child geographically by chatting about local physical features, attractions and activities. You might even like to develop this idea by asking them to provide a tourist guide for their local area for visiting relatives.
On a journey, you can share the road map or map phone app with your son or daughter so they can follow the route while you talk about where you are going. Alternatively, ask them to draw a map of their journey to school or the local shop, including any natural or man-made features along the way.
Holidays are an ideal opportunity to compare the location with their home area — you might ask your child to talk through five similarities and differences, for example. Holidays also provide an opportunity for a museum visit or a trip to a tourist attraction.
Closer to home, use anything at your disposal! Magazines, TV, films and even some computer games can provide your child with a view of distant places. They enable your child to be transported instantly to another place. Prompt their thinking with questions, such as: What might the weather be like in this place? Why might the road have been built where it is? The list of questions is endless and will lead to all sorts of discussions which will really help to develop curiosity about, and understanding of, the world.
Further support and useful websites
The BBC Bitesize websites link to videos, games and information a wide range of geographical knowledge:
The Geographical Association is the leading organisation supporting geographical teacher in the UK. Their resources are available at:
The Royal Geographical Society has also published a wealth of resources to help teachers and parents: