Intent 

At North Crescent we believe that Geography helps us to make sense of the world around us, better understand the places we live in, learn about and visit why they matter , and how they are connected to a globalised world. The teaching of Geography allows pupils to develop their understanding and appreciation of places and their importance to us, of our impact on them and how we can manage and develop them sustainably. Additionally, Geography education teaches pupils to understand `space’ and ‘scale’, including the layout of places within their own locality, their own country and the wider world and how this can be represented on maps.

We want our pupils, who are part of an ever- changing world, to recognise and value interdependence through taught themes such as climate change, food, water and energy by the time they leave primary education. 

They will have been able to explore geography through many lenses such as; Physical Geography, Human Geography; Processes and changes; Locations and Environments; and go onto secondary school with a geographical awareness and vocabulary to continue their learning.

Implementation

Our school follows Dimensions, which is a tailored curriculum, encompassing integrated lessons and themes. It allows children to encounter different societies and cultures and learn to appreciate the incredible diversity of landscapes and peoples, through indoor and outdoor learning opportunities. 

The curriculum is developed to be able to teach children geographical vocabulary, through a spiral approach of learning, from Explorers up to Navigators 6.

Geography is taught through thematic units:

• Processes and Changes- Change happens as a result of different geographical processes. These processes can be split into two distinct groups: - human and physical. Human processes involve human activity, whereas physical processes are naturally occurring. An example of a human process would be urbanisation; an example of a physical process would be flooding. The impact of a human process can be a catalyst for a natural process e.g. deforestation has resulted in the physical process known as climate change. Both human and physical processes lead to change and children should be able to recognise and understand this, giving examples. 
• Human Geography- Human geography relates to man-made features and human activity. Human geography includes characteristics like houses, roads and bridges; in other words, things that have been built by people. Children should learn about, identify and explain patterns in human geography e.g. houses are often built along a road (linear settlement).
• Physical Geography- Physical geography also relates to features. Physical geography includes natural characteristics like mountains, rivers and trees; in other words, anything that is naturally occurring. Children should learn about how physical geography influences and impacts on the lives of people.
• Geographical Vocabulary- Geographical vocabulary can be placed into several categories, such as: - language related to place, space and location e.g. Equator, hill; language related to movement and change e.g. migration, flooding; language related to interdependence e.g. trade.
• Locations and environments- Location is integral to the framework of geography because it helps us to know and express where things are. Within location we include space and place, which connects with physical and human geography in terms of the characteristics that make places identifiable, and how one place is different from another. Environment can be defined as surroundings, which includes all the living and non-living elements and their effects, that influence human life in any given place.
• Similarities and Differences- Comparison is a tool used by geographers to analyse locations, features and environments in order to discover things of geographical importance or interest e.g. common causes, geographical patterns. By looking for similarities and differences, children are then able to identify, analyse and evaluate findings, giving reasons for their conclusions.

Impact

From pupil voice we have seen a vast improvement in childrens' geographical understanding. Children are able to talk about their learning effectively and with enthusiasm, using geographical literacy. Through the use of our ambassador scheme and plastic programme, children have significantly developed their knowledge of conservation and sustainability, showing a good understanding of their importance in todays society.