Through our Geography curriculum, our intent is to promote curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with the children as they go forward in their lives. We want children to have a secure 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. In our ever-changing world, we also want to educate children on the fragility of our planet and how, as its future caretakers, to take responsible action to preserve and safeguard its future.
The children’s learning journey starts in our Reception class where the children start to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. Through the curriculum provision, children start to develop a concept of place, a concept of change, learn to take responsibility as citizens of the world, investigate questions about the world around them which builds a good foundation for their future geographical enquiry and start to extend the children’s vocabulary with opportunities to observe and record daily changes in their environment such as the weather or the budding of trees.
As our children move into Year 1, the curriculum begins its 3 year cycle. In our lower school, children as geographers, start to develop their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the local environment. They start to develop their locational knowledge (7 continents and 5 oceans) as well as place. Through studying the weather patterns and different regions (Human and Physical Geography), they begin to broaden their geographical language. Children also embark on their learning journey of developing their geographical and fieldwork skills including the use of atlas and maps as well as following compass directions.
Through their learning in the upper school, children extend their knowledge and understanding as geographers going beyond their immediate locality, to include United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. Children build on their solid foundations from the lower school years to develop their locational and place knowledge as well as their human and physical geography.
We take every opportunity to take the children’s learning outside here at Brize Norton Primary by using the school grounds and the village itself to bring their learning experiences to life. Children of all ages also enjoy and learn from the experience of Forest School as well as the enrichment activities we offer. Our aim is to not only enable children to become keen geographers, but to love the world around them as well.
