Geography

At Coates Way we use, (and adapt where appropriate to match the children’s needs and interests), the Kapow Scheme of work for Geography, in line with the National Curriculum. Pupils build upon their learning each year in a spiral curriculum.

Our intent is that the pupils in our school will develop a curiosity about the world around them, develop pride in their local community and an early sense of global awareness.

We aim to develop their sense of Local, National and Global citizenship through investigation and enquiry therefore becoming confident investigators who evaluate evidence, make reasoned conclusions and consider sustainability and environmental impact.

Progression is broken down into the following key areas:

Locational knowledge – naming and locating places and features from memory; using atlases, globes and maps.

Place knowledge – developing a sense of the children’s place in the world; comparing and contrasting geographical areas to understand their characteristics and cultures; learning how places are interconnected and change over time.

Human and physical geography – understanding the relationship between humans and the environment; exploring the Earth’s natural features and processes; considering the impact of human activity on settlements; learning about land use, trade and natural resources.

Geography skills and fieldwork – using maps and diagrams; describing location and direction; planning and carrying out fieldwork enquiries.

The Geography knowledge strands are:

Disciplinary knowledge - to understand and follow the same processes that geographers follow to find and evaluate answers to enquiry questions.

Substantive knowledge - The content that pupils will learn through studying the Geography curriculum

Procedural knowledge - knowledge of how to collect, analyse and communicate data and geographical information from fieldwork, maps and other sources. How to interpret this range of sources to answer enquiry questions.

Phase	Impact	Skills	Teaching & Assessment
EYFS	Through first quality teaching we support Coates Way pupils in the Early Years to develop curiosity about the world, recognise familiar places, people and environments. We encourage the children to build confidence exploring outdoors; use observational language for weather, seasons and local features. Early experiences foster social skills through shared exploration and storytelling.	Use every day geographical vocabulary to describe the immediate environment such as the gardens, playground and the local park. Practise observational and enquiry skills via guided walks, sensory activities and role play. Use basic positional language (near/far; left/right) and explore simple maps and globes. Record findings through drawings, photos and mark making. Develop respect for different places and awareness of change over time.	Vocabulary Observations Pupil Voice Assessment Learning walks Team work End of Unit Assessment Planning Marking and feedback
KS1	Pupils gain a secure foundation in locational and place knowledge. They recognise key human and physical features of their locality and contrasting environments. The children become more independent in asking geographical questions and communicating simple findings and through this, develop pride in their community and an early sense of global awareness.	Develop map-reading skills using simple maps, pictorial keys and basic compass directions (N, S, E, W). Collect and record data from fieldwork (surveys, tally charts, simple graphs). Use geographical vocabulary to describe weather, land use and local landmarks. Compare places to identify similarities and differences. Begin to use atlases and globes to locate countries, continents and the UK’s nations and capital cities.
KS2	Pupils deepen their understanding of physical and human geography and develop analytical skills to explain processes and patterns at local, national and global scales The children become confident investigators who evaluate evidence, make reasoned conclusions and consider sustainability and environmental impact. The children are prepared for informed citizenship and lifelong geographical learning.	Extend locational knowledge to regions of the UK, Europe and the wider world. Use grid references, scale and contour interpretation on OS maps. Plan and conduct structured fieldwork and design enquiries. Analyse quantitative and qualitative data using charts and Geographic Information System (GIS) where appropriate. Evaluate human–environment interactions and understand key physical processes (rivers, coasts, climate, weather systems). Communicate findings using precise geographical terminology.