Geography

At Mowlem we are proud of the rich and eclectic background of our whole school community and take advantage of opportunities this creates to provide a Geography curriculum that is relevant and meaningful to our pupils. We believe that Geography helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. The geography curriculum at Mowlem enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills.
The curriculum is designed to ensure that teaching equips 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. As pupils progress through the school, their growing knowledge about the world helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge and skills are progressive and are sequenced to provide the framework and approaches that provide explanation of how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives, equipping them well for further education and beyond.

Essential characteristics of geographers

An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
An excellent knowledge of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills and use effective analytical and presentational techniques.
The ability to reach clear conclusions and develop a reasoned argument to explain findings.
Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of the subject matter.
Highly developed and frequently utilised fieldwork and other geographical skills and techniques.
A passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.

Geography Curriculum Overview 2023-2024

Geography Roadmap

Geography in the Early Years Foundation Stage

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Geography forms part of the learning children acquire under the ‘Understanding the World' branch of the Foundation Stage curriculum.

Foundation Stage geography is where children begin to gain a wider experience of the world around them.

Children learn through first-hand experiences to explore, observe, problem solve, predict, think critically, make decisions and talk about the creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments.

We ask children open-ended questions, for example, “What can you see here?” to help your child to think and make connections between ideas.

Children learn about seasons, the weather, features in the local area and the buildings that surround them. They may be shown photographs of the local area to help them identify features, for example a library, railway, church or mosque. They will also be encouraged to record their findings, perhaps through drawing, writing, and modelling.

The document below outlines in more detail the specific Geography objectives within the Early Years curriculum, what it looks like in practice, and demonstrates the links between the Early Years and the Geography curriculum.

Geography in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Geography in Key Stage 1 and 2

The Geography National Curriculum in Key Stage 1 and 2

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Investigate the world’s continents and oceans.

Investigate the countries and capitals of the United Kingdom.

Compare and contrast a small area of the United Kingdom with that of a non-European country.

Explore weather and climate in the United Kingdom and around the world.

Locate the world’s countries, with a focus on Europe and countries of particular interest to pupils.

Locate the world’s countries, with focus on North and South America and countries of particular interest to pupils.

Identify key geographical features if the countries of the United Kingdom, and show an understanding of how some of these aspects have changed over time.

Locate the geographic zones of the world.

Understand the significance of the geographic zones of the world.

Geography at Mowlem is taught in half termly blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Existing knowledge is checked at the beginning of each unit and throughout the course of the learning in each black. This ensures that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points as well as determine the content knowledge for subsequent lessons.
The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice through field trips.

Learning Journeys

Learning Journeys detail the overall outcomes for each unit.
Learning Journeys detail the small steps that children will take to achieve the overall outcomes for each unit.
They show how the unit builds on prior learning
They show what children will learn in the future linked to what they are learning now.
Learning Journeys are available on the school website – on the year group page or on the subject page
They include key vocabulary for the unit
They include details of the key content to be covered

If you would like printed copies of any journeys please let us know.