Geography
Why is Geography important?
Geography inspires a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with the children for the rest of their lives. The subject equips them 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. Ultimately, the study of geography can allow children to think about their own place in the world as well as their values and responsibilities to care for others and the environment.
Knowledge Progression
Primary geography at Westerton enables all children to develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places. Their focus begins with the exploration of the school grounds and the surrounding areas before increasing their scale of study to the UK and then to the wider world.
Children learn about diverse places through the exploration of human and physical geography before moving on to study how such features and processes can interact with one another. This includes pupils developing their understanding of environmental issues faced by different landscapes and the importance of sustainability. As the children build upon their existing knowledge, they will acquire a rich and secure geographical vocabulary which they will be able to apply in a wide range of contexts.
Geographical Skills
Geographical skills are embedded in every topic and practised through the interpretation of geographical sources such as maps, atlases, diagrams, aerial photographs and geographical information systems; fieldwork, beginning with first-hand observation, moving towards more sophisticated data collection; and opportunities for the children to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
