
During their geography learning within their topics, we aspire to support our pupils to learn through a variety of experiences which include observing, collecting and interpreting information from a range of sources, as well as from practical activities of field work and visits. Children in Reception begin their geographical learning within the early years by developing their understanding of the world around them and beyond, through exploration.
Throughout Key Stage 1, pupils are taught directional and positional language to describe routes around them and they will learn how to identify features from maps, draw their own maps and locate landmarks. They will explore the world’s seven continents and five oceans, the different seasonal weather types and hot and cold environments. We aim for them to develop knowledge of human and physical geography both locally and across the planet. They will build on this through Key Stage 2, where they will develop their physical geography by examining contrasting physical environments across the world to include earthquakes and volcanoes, mountains, rivers and seas. This will give them the opportunity to make progress with their mapping skills using more detailed atlases and ordnance surveys with grid references.
Pupils will explore human features of different land uses and settlements; naming cities and countries across the globe. They will find out about different climates and how the types of weather systems across the world work. Throughout our curriculum we encourage our pupils to use subject specific vocabulary and develop their reading and writing skills through geography with the use technology to research online as well as with non-fiction books.
We aim to teach pupils about the world in which they live, learn from it and its issues, and their place in contributing towards it as British citizens. Therefore, in geography we encourage our pupils to be active, mindful learners by asking questions and reflecting on the actions of themselves and others. We aim for our pupils to be respectful towards our planet and current world issues. We aspire for them to develop an active role in taking responsibility to look after our world.
- Bright Lights Big City
- Coastline
- Rocks, Relics and Rumbles
- Mist Mountains and Winding Rivers
- Sow, Grow and Farm
- Frozen Kingdoms
Cornerstones Curriculum
We provide a creative curriculum based around the Cornerstones Curriculum, a nationally recognised approach for delivering outstanding learning opportunities for children.
What is the Cornerstones Curriculum?
The Cornerstones Curriculum is a creative and thematic approach to learning that is mapped to the Primary National Curriculum to ensure comprehensive coverage of national expectations. Our new curriculum will be delivered through Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs) which will provide a rich menu of exciting and motivating learning activities that make creative links between all aspects of our children’s learning.
We believe children learn better when they are encouraged to use their imagination and apply their learning to engaging contexts. Our new curriculum will provide lots of learning challenges throughout the academic year that will require children to solve problems, apply themselves creatively and express their knowledge and understanding effectively across the curriculum.
Cornerstones also provide a rigorous essential skills framework that outlines the end of year expectations in all subjects. These essential skills are tied to activities and are age related so that staff can track children’s progress and identify their individual learning needs.
How it Works?
Children will progress through four stages of learning in each ILP – Engage, Develop, Innovate and Express. To find out more about these stages please click on the link through to Cornerstones website:
https://cornerstoneseducation.co.uk/why-cornerstones/