Geography

GEOGRAPHY AT RIVELIN

GEOGRAPHY IN EYFS

In EYFS, the children learn geography as part of the Understanding the World Area of Learning, most specifically the Early Learning Goals- People, Culture and Communities and The Natural World.

  The children begin to develop their geographical knowledge by exploring and describing features of our Nursery and school grounds, their own homes and gardens and features of the beautiful Rivelin Valley where our school is located.

We draw on quality key texts such as In the Garden,by Emma Giuliani, We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michale Rosen,  Beneath the Street by Charlotte Guillian and Out and About by Shirley Hughes, to name a few.

As well as first hand experiences, maps, photographs, globes and atlases are used throughout EYFS to explore and investigate different places as we begin to compare and contrast different environments. Children have rich opportunities to make use of school grounds to enhance and apply their skills as geographers.

We make the most of our beautiful location. In the Autumn our nursery class tour our school grounds and our school field.  The Reception children have an Autumn walk along the riverbank of the Rivelin Valley.

Throughout the year, we visit various locations both urban and rural such as the local church and a rural farm.

The children observe and discuss the weather and seasonal changes. They also start to think about places further afield as we compare locations around the world through our Bears topic. We draw upon the rich cultural heritage of the children in our school to learn about different cultures, countries and customs. Children also learn about the different jobs which people do in our community.

From when they start in Nursery, children are taught key geographical vocabulary which is then built upon as they progress through KS1 and 2. Through our geography curriculum, children also begin to understand the need to respect and care for the natural environment.

KEY STAGE 1

As children move into KS1, they build on the strong foundations developed in the EYFS, developing their geographical vocabulary, locational awareness, geographical skills and knowledge of physical and human geography. As well as learning about local geography, the children enjoy having the opportunity to learn about different countries and places around the world including the Antarctic, the rainforests and Africa.

In Year 1, there is a strong focus on learning more about our own city of Sheffield as well as countries of the UK and our capital cities. The children also learn to compare exciting places such as the Arctic and the Amazon Rainforest.

In Year 2 the children again learn more about Sheffield and then take an exciting trip around the world with The Snail and The Whale to learn more about distant countries and really focusing on contrasting environments.

As is the case in EYFS, our school, the local area and our school grounds are at the heart of our KS1 geography curriculum. Children develop a sense of place in relation to their own environment and an understanding of the physical world around them and their community. We encourage our children to appreciate places and people all over the world.

KEY STAGE 2

In Key Stage 2 our progressive and systematic curriculum enables children to build upon the strong foundations of Key Stage 1. The children continue to develop their understanding through the study of contrasting localities, exploring the differences between human and physical geography and the analysing the importance of concepts such as space, place and location.

Year 3

In Year 3, children begin to study in greater detail the physical processes which shape our earth, starting with volcanoes (which links to our literacy topic of Escape from Pompeii), followed by the water cycle, before moving on to examine the similarities and differences between the physical and human geography of the United Kingdom and Australia.

Year 4

In Year 4, the children build on their knowledge of the local area gained in KS1 by studying local river systems, their processes, contribution to Sheffield’s settlement and development, and their present status.  Children also have the opportunity to study a river system a little further afield in the form of the Amazon and its rainforest.

Year 5

In Year 5, the children build on the geographical knowledge they have developed by advancing their geographical skills through map work, as well as continuing to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the wider world by studying the varying climate and biomes of Africa.

Year 6

In Year 6, the children develop their understanding of the concepts of settlement, movement and culture, first by studying Asia, in particular India (linked with our study of Around the World in Eighty Days), followed by the idea of Fairtrade. The children continue to enhance their geographical skills in preparation for secondary school through fieldwork, putting to practice all that they have learned during their time at Rivelin.