Geography enables children to understand their world locally to globally, make wise decisions about the planet and its resources, and become critical thinkers. Geography grapples with the key issues of our time—energy, water, biodiversity, climate, natural hazards, population, and much more

Joseph Kerski, president of the National Council for Geographic Education  

Intent  

Our aim at Bel Royal School is to inspire children’s curiosity, interest and appreciation for the world that we live in. We intend to equip children with the geographical knowledge to develop their skills through studies of places, people and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.  

We believe that from the youngest age, children must feel connected to the world around them, appreciate their environment and understand the need to conserve and protect our planet. Children develop strong links to their local community through a desire to understand, appreciate and explore the world around us whilst also being exposed to other cultures using texts, experiences and a range of media. 

As pupils progress, their growing knowledge of the world should help 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, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. 

Implementation  

Geography is an investigative subject which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills, allowing high quality cross-curricular links to be made to other areas of learning, including the use of digital technology and purposeful application of numeracy and literacy skills.  Learning is recapped and built upon throughout years so that children can recall previously taught knowledge and make links when learning new. 

In Key Stages 1 and 2 children are taught through 4 key areas, including: 

• Locational knowledge 

• Place Knowledge 

• Human and Physical Geography  

• Geographical skills and Fieldwork 

We believe that the most effective way for children to develop concepts, knowledge and skills is through exploring real life and authentic geographical opportunities. Utilising the wonderful geography of our islands or virtual environments helps to develop an understanding of diverse places, natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes.  

At Bel Royal, we are extremely lucky to have a community that belongs to a range of diverse locations across the world. Links are made and celebrated to these locations and cultures whenever possible.  Our curriculum adapts when needed to address current and topical geographical events and news close to home and across the world, ensuring children are aware of their rights and their part in the world’s future. We encourage natural curiosity to create inquisitive learners who look closely at the world around them, becoming real geographers by conducting a range of purposeful fieldwork investigations relevant to them, our island and the future of their world.  

Learning is brought to life by experiential experiences whenever possible with learning inspired by planned visits, visitors and ‘hooks’ of interest to bring geography to life, including the amazing opportunities that digital technology and communication now bring. Whenever possible, we use our island as a learning resource and children will learn about the characteristics of Jersey and how it compares to other places. These visits include the amazing opportunities for residential trips on and off the island.  

We use various sources to aid our planning which is based on a key question linked to a topic or theme.

For example,  

Geographical Association 

Jersey Education Sharepoint  

National Geographic 

Oddizzi 

BBC Bitesize 

Mary Myatt  

Impact  

At the end of Reception, children at the expected level of development will 

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations  

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class 

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter. 

Pupils at Key Stage 1 should  

• Develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and Jersey and their locality 

• Understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography 

• Begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.  

Pupils are taught:  

Locational knowledge 

• Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans 

• Name, locate and identify characteristics of Jersey, its parishes and main settlements, the other Channel Islands and the surrounding waters.  

Place knowledge  

• Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of Jersey, and of a small area in a contrasting country. 

Human and physical geography 

• Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and Jersey. 

• The location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles 

• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical features, including beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather 

• Key human features, including city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour, reservoir and shop.  

Geographical skills and fieldwork 

• Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify Jersey and the Channel Islands together with their position in relation to the United Kingdom and its countries, France, and the countries, continents and oceans studied at this Key Stage. 

• Use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far; left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map 

• Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key 

• Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment.  

Pupils at Key Stage 2 should:  

• Extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. 

• Develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and environmental knowledge. 

Pupils are taught:  

Locational knowledge 

• Locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands, Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities 

• Name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time 

• Identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night). 

Place knowledge 

• Understanding geographical similarities and differences through the study of the human and physical geography of Jersey, a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within another continent  

Human and physical geography 

• Describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, coasts including tides, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle 

• Human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water. 

Geographical skills and fieldwork 

• Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied 

• Use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world 

• Use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.