The children of Howletch Primary School will become Geographers who are curious and fascinated about the world its people. As children study they will gain an appreciation, deep knowledge and understanding of how diverse the world is; simultaneously they will develop an understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. Geography encourages children to think about their own place in the world, their values, and their rights. Through the teaching of geography children are motivated to find out about the physical world and this enables them to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of humankind. We also aim to provide the children with opportunities to work through the essential elements and concepts of Geography.  

In line with the 2014 National Curriculum: Geography Programme of Study, we promote a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will continue to develop throughout their lives. Our geography curriculum states the essential knowledge for the four key areas; place knowledge, locational knowledge, human and physical geography (including environmental knowledge) and geographical skills and fieldwork. The big concepts of geography promoted at Howletch Primary School are place, space, scale, interdependence, physical and human processes, environmental impact, sustainable development, cultural awareness, and cultural diversity.  

The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:   

• Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes 

• Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time   
• Are competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse, and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes.  
• Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)  
• Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.   

At Howletch Primary School, we urge children to respect and care for their environment to sustain its future. With an exciting and positive learning environment we are committed to igniting the passion to travel to, see, support and experience different sights, cultures, and climates of the world.  

At Howletch Primary School we incorporate Geography into our topic themed learning, therefore children are immersed into the subject using a variety of practical and cross-curricular learning opportunities, to enable children to make sense of their learning in context. Aspects of Geography are implemented and developed through a spiral curriculum, where children revisit and expand their skills in a progressive and reactive way focussed on building upon children’s prior knowledge, learning experiences and understanding of the environment. This subject is also taught in reference to the context in which Howletch’s children live and play; these independent elements of geography relating to locality are touched upon throughout the year. Due to our school’s location, learners can investigate and explore a wide range of concepts that can be applied within their local area and this also offers a wealth of fieldwork opportunities.  

We are mindful that knowledge does not sit as isolated information in children’s minds hence, our curriculum has been devised in the interests of our children to ensure quality of provision to enable them to acquire and develop a deep body of knowledge. At Howletch we provide unique opportunities for children to explore the diverse environments within our locality and further afield. We encourage a wide use of ICT resources to explore countries and lifestyles that differ to our own. Further to this, we invite local experts and professionals into school, to enrich children’s learning and to highlight the importance of geographical concepts in the real world. 

We encourage children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding as set out by the National Curriculum which is the backbone to our sequencing and content of the curriculum with the focus throughout on the four principal areas.  

As children progress through Howletch Primary School they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation for their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. Children will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects landscapes and environments. Geographical understanding, as well as children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is further supported by the school’s links with international schools. Regular trips and extra curricula experiences provide further relevant and contextualised experiences. Children learn about careers related to geography from members of the local and wider community with specialist skills and knowledge through visits and outings, ensuring that all children are well prepared for their next steps in education and learning for life. Our geography curriculum aims to produce children who speak as geographers who are curious and fascinated about the ever-changing world and its people; using this we can monitor the effectiveness of teaching and the impact on learning while evaluating and summarising all aspects of the subject to define next steps for improvement. 

Geography in the Early Years:   

In the EYFS Geography is encompassed by ‘understanding of the world’ and incorporates children understanding of ‘People and Communities’ and ‘Understanding the World’ whilst skills and curiosity in ‘Technology’ also benefit children’s research and enquiry for geography.  

From an early age, the children at Howletch Lane Primary School learn of diverse cultures, beliefs, and routines. Children explore what makes them unique as an individual as well as discussing similarities and differences of their homes and families and their environments. Our environment is decorated with images, stories, and objects from various places, providing children with many opportunities to explore and engage in diverse ways of living.  

Utilising our indoor and outdoor environments children are encouraged to explore the distinctive features of their natural world and investigate how things change throughout time as well as enquiring what homes natural objects can provide. We promote methods of caring for the wider world beginning with recycling, whilst also modelling respect for living things and encouraging children to think about how we can make the environment safe and pleasant for all living things.