Geography

Our Vision

Geography is a valued part of the National Curriculum. It provides a means of exploring, appreciating and understanding the world in which we live and how it has evolved. Geography explores the relationship between the Earth and its people.

Geography stimulates curiosity and imagination and we aim to build upon the child’s ‘personal geography’ by developing geographical skills, understanding and knowledge through studying places and themes. It provides a child with a greater understanding of their own local environment.

Geography encourages children to learn through experience particularly through fieldwork and practical activities. This includes learning about our unique geographical location in the Western Lakes. 

Our Geography teaching allows children to develop a sense of place and they begin to realise how nations rely on each other and this can inspire them to think about their own place in the world, their values, and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment.

Our Aims

• Inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
• Equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
• Develop a growing knowledge about the world to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments.
• Acquire Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills.
• Enable children to learn and explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Our Curriculum

Early Years

Our pupils in Nursery and Reception will follow the curriculum as set out in Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. We will encourage the children to begin making sense of the world and their community by giving them opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment around them.

Key Stage One

During Key Stage One we will enable our pupils to develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. We will ensure that they understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness. This will include exploring the use of aerial photographs, maps, atlases and globes to locate places and the use of compass directions when giving directions.

Key Stage Two

During Key Stage Two, our pupils will extend their knowledge and understanding beyond our local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. We will explore the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features such as making comparisons between Scafell Pike in the Lake District and other mountain ranges in the world. We will support the children to develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge. We will continue to develop the children’s geographical skills by continuing to use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and to describe the features. The children will begin to recognise the positions on an eight point compass, they will be able to use four and six-figure grid references and identify lines of longitude and latitude. They will use their fieldwork skills to make observations and measurements in the local area using a range of methods, this includes field work at Ennerdale relating to rivers.

A St Bridget’s child will leave our school having a sound knowledge and understanding of the physical world around them.

Year5

Enrichment

Our teaching of Geography is enriched by a wide range of opportunities to visit to places of geographical significance. Our unique position in the heart of West Cumbria means our KS2 children are able to experience river work at Ennerdale, studying a range of mountains including Scafell Pike in the Wasdale Valley and immersive Stone Age workshops at "Wood Matters" Windermere. Our youngest children in the Early Years are able to take a trip on "The Ratty" at Eskdale to experience journeys and understand their local area. They also enjoy learning about our rugged coastline at St Bees. Our KS1 children explore the changes on our local high street in Egremont and the features of the historical harbour in Whitehaven. By enriching our children's geographical experiences they are well placed to develop a strong understanding of the physical and human features around them and their place in the world.

Geography Curriculum Overview