Geography

Geography is a brilliant way of developing children’s fascination for the world we live in. At SJA, we aim to excite and inspire our pupils’ curiosity about the world, and its people, through carefully planned topics. Our lessons build upon children’s previous experience, knowledge and understanding of the world, and equip pupils with a range of transferable skills, such as the ability to research, observe, measure, record and present information.

The geography curriculum is continually taught and assessed through three key concepts: investigating places, investigating patterns and communicating geographically. Across each year group, SJA pupils will investigate different places - locally, within the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world. Students are taught how to use various resources such as compasses, OS maps, atlases and digital mapping. Fieldwork consolidates these skills and enables children to discover new ideas and knowledge in a practical and engaging way.

Our topics provide children with a valuable insight into different places, enabling pupils to look closely at physical and human features. For example, in Year 3, pupils learn first-hand about our local area during a field trip to Southwater. We also emphasise the importance of learning technical and subject specific vocabulary; therefore, our young geographers are able to use key geographical language confidently when articulating their learning. Children are encouraged to discuss and ask questions about geographical patterns that occur across the world. This includes questioning physical changes such as, ‘How do rivers shape the landscape?’ as well as human changes, for example, ‘What is the impact of poaching in Africa?’ These thought-provoking questions help children to recognise how changes to places and the environment happen, and how they affect us both now and in the future.

 

Geography