Welcome to Harlands Community
Primary & Nursery School

Geography

The National Curriculum for Geography

PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Geography.pdf

Geography Intent

We equip 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, their growing knowledge about 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.


Progression in Geography

Nursery Geography

Reception Geography

  • Talk about my environment at school and home expressing an opinion about it.

  • Talk about places I have visited and say how that place was similar or different to my usual environment.

  • Talk about natural and built environments and listen to different points of view on the quality of an environment.

  • Children will be exposed to stories set in different places and encouraged to use basic geographical language (e.g. sea, beach, forest, hill, town, village, farm, river etc).

  • Talk about my environment at school and home expressing an opinion about it.

  • Talk about places I have visited and say how that place was similar or different to my usual environment.

  • Talk about natural and built environments and listen to different points of view on the quality of an environment.

  • Children will be exposed to stories set in different places and encouraged to use basic geographical language (e.g. sea, beach, forest, hill, town, village, farm, river etc).

  • ELG: Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another.

Year 1 Geography

Year 2 Geography

  • Use basic observational skills

  • Carry out a small survey of the local area/school

  • Draw simple features

  • Create plans and raw simple features in their familiar environment

  • Recognise a photo or a video as a record of what has been seen or heard

  • Use a simple picture map to move around the school

  • Use relative vocabulary such as bigger, smaller, like, dislike

  • Use directional language such as near and far, up and down, left and right, forwards and backwards and begin to recognise compass directions (North, South, East, West)

  • Use world maps to identify the UK in its position in the world.

  • Use maps to locate the four countries and capital cities of UK and its surrounding seas

  • Draw basic maps, including appropriate symbols and pictures to represent places or features

  • Use photographs and maps to identify features

  • Use basic observational skills

  • Ask and respond to basic geographical questions

  • Use a proforma to collect data e.g. tally survey

  • Add labels onto a sketch map, map or photograph of features

  • Use a camera in the field to help to record what is seen

  • Follow a route on a map

  • Use simple compass directions (North, South, East, West)

  • Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features

  • Use world maps to identify the seven continents and five oceans

  • Use maps to identify the characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of UK and its surrounding seas

  • Draw or make a map of real or imaginary places (e.g. add detail to a sketch map from aerial photograph)

  • Use and construct basic symbols in a key

Year 3 Geography

Year 4 Geography

  • Ask geographical questions

  • Use a simple database to present findings from fieldwork

  • Use appropriate terminology

  • Draw an annotated sketch from observation including some descriptive / explanatory labels

  • Select views to photograph

  • Begin to add titles and labels giving date information

  • Consider how photos provide useful evidence and use a camera independently

  • Begin to locate the position of a photo on a map

  • Follow a route on a map with some accuracy

  • Locate places using a range of maps including OS & digital

  • Begin to match boundaries (e.g. find same boundary of a country on different scale maps)

  • Use 4 figure compasses, and letter/number co-ordinates to identify features on a map

  • Locate the UK on a variety of different scale maps

  • Name & locate the counties and cities of the UK

  • Try to make a map of a short route experiences, with features in current order

  • Create a simple scale drawing

  • Use standard symbols, and understand the importance of a key

  • Ask geographical questions

  • Record findings from field trips

  • Use a database to present findings

  • Use appropriate terminology

  • Draw an annotated sketch from observation including descriptive / explanatory labels and indicating direction

  • Select views to photograph

  • Add titles and labels giving date and location information

  • Consider how photo’s provide useful evidence

  • Use a camera independently

  • Locate position of a photo on a map

  • Follow a route on a large scale map

  • Locate places on a range of maps (variety of scales)

  • Identify features on an aerial photograph, digital or computer map

  • Begin to use 8 figure compass and four figure grid references to identify features on a map

  • Locate Europe on a large scale map or globe,

  • Name and locate countries in Europe (including Russia) and their capitals cities

  • Recognise and use OS map symbols, including completion of a key and understand why it is important

  • Draw a sketch map from a high viewpoint


Year 5 Geography

Year 6 Geography

  • Use a database to interrogate/amend information collected

  • Annotate sketches to describe and explain geographical processes and patterns

  • Make a judgement about the best angle or viewpoint when taking an image or completing a sketch

  • Use photographic evidence in their investigations

  • Evaluate the usefulness of the images

  • Compare maps with aerial photographs

  • Select a map for a specific purpose

  • Begin to use atlases to find out other information (e.g. temperature)

  • Find and recognise places on maps of different scales

  • Use 8 figure compasses, begin to use 6 figure grid references.

  • Locate the world’s countries, focus on North & South America

  • Identify the position and significance of lines of longitude & latitude

  • Draw a variety of thematic maps based on their own data

  • Draw a sketch map using symbols and a key

  • Use and recognise OS map symbols regularly

  • Select appropriate methods for data collection (such as interviews)

  • Use a database to interrogate/amend information collected

  • Use graphs to display data collected

  • Evaluate the quality of evidence collected and suggest improvements

  • Evaluate their sketch against set criteria and improve it

  • Use sketches as evidence in an investigation. select field sketching from a variety of techniques

  • Annotate sketches to describe and explain geographical processes and patterns

  • Make a judgement about the best angle or viewpoint when taking an image or completing a sketch

  • Use photographic evidence in their investigations

  • Evaluate the usefulness of the images

  • Follow a short route on a OS map

  • Describe the features shown on an OS map

  • Use atlases to find out data about other places

  • Use 8 figure compass and 6 figure grid reference accurately

  • Use lines of longitude and latitude on maps

  • Locate the world’s countries on a variety of maps, including the areas studied throughout the Key Stages

  • Draw plans of increasing complexity

  • Begin to use and recognise atlas symbols