Geography

Children are natural geographers.  From the moment they are born they start to learn about their surroundings.  At an early age, they become familiar with their own environment. 

Just think -  even from when they are crawling around the house and garden, they are exploring their surroundings.  Gradually, through a variety of stimuli, they begin to develop perceptions about other places.  This could include journeys to different places, days out and holidays.

By the time children join us in Barrow Hall , they have already acquired some awareness of the world around them and have started to develop an understanding of their place within this world. 

In Reception, the Foundation Stage provides opportunities to learn about the world  around us through the Early Learning Goal : "Knowledge and Understanding of the World".  Children learn about the weather, seasons and places around them e.g. where they live, the local shops.  They start to develop various geographical skills through exploration and play.

In KS1, the children develop a variety of geography skills e.g. mapping skills; finding their way around the school, looking at plans, maps and aerial photographs. They explore the local area and compare this to other areas.  The children are introduced to Barnaby Bear and we join him on his travels. Using video, books, photographs and artefacts we find out what it is like to live in different places.

Geography in KS2 is progressive, building on  KS1 learning and developing  skills at a higher level.  The children study places, physical and human patterns and processes in the world around them.  They investigate the relationship between people and their environment. Topics they study include "Water", "Mountain Environments", "Investigating our Local Area and Contrasting Localities".

In all our teaching we aim to make the delivery stimulating for the children.  We use artefacts, photographs, books, postcards, the internet, computer software, maps and globes.  We try to make geography "come alive", and to foster a love for the subject and for the childrens' understanding and enjoyment of the world we live in.