At Billesley Primary School, we provide a high-quality geography education that inspires curiosity and a deep fascination with the world and its diverse people. Our aim is to ignite a lifelong interest in geography by helping children understand the complex interactions between natural and human environments, as well as their impact on one another.
At the core of our geography teaching is a concept-based inquiry approach, which encourages children to explore geographical topics through overarching themes such as ‘community,’ ‘diversity,’ ‘impact,’ and ‘power.’ These key concepts provide a framework for learning and are revisited throughout both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, allowing children to build meaningful connections between different topics and develop a richer, more nuanced understanding of the world. By repeatedly engaging with these concepts, children deepen their understanding of geography in a way that is both coherent and progressive, promoting critical thinking and inquiry-based learning.
In Key Stage 1, we focus on laying the foundations for geographical understanding. Children begin by developing a sense of place, starting with their immediate surroundings and expanding outward to explore the world beyond. Through hands-on activities and local area studies, they learn to:
- Identify basic geographical features such as rivers, hills, towns, and cities.
- Use simple maps and create their own, learning to use symbols, compass directions, and basic map-reading skills.
- Understand weather patterns and the concept of seasons, and how these affect daily life in different parts of the world.
- Begin to recognize the differences between natural and human environments, such as the difference between parks and towns, or forests and farms.
The concept-based approach introduces children to themes such as ‘community’ and ‘diversity,’ encouraging them to explore questions like: What makes our community unique? and How do people in other parts of the world live? Geography sessions are thoughtfully designed to spark curiosity and encourage investigation, helping children to develop essential inquiry skills from a young age.
As children move into Key Stage 2, their geographical knowledge and skills are expanded and refined. Our geography curriculum challenges children to think critically about global issues and human-environment interactions. They delve deeper into concepts such as ‘impact’ and ‘power,’ exploring how geography influences the economy, politics, and cultural identities. Key learning objectives include:
- Understanding physical geography such as rivers, mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, and biomes, and how these features shape human settlements and cultures.
- Exploring human geography, including trade, economic activity, land use, and population distribution.
- Developing advanced map-reading skills, including the use of Ordnance Survey maps, digital maps, and geographical information systems (GIS).
- Investigating the impact of environmental issues, such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution, and understanding how human actions affect the planet.
In this stage, children are encouraged to engage with critical questions such as: What is the impact of human activity on our planet? and How do different power dynamics shape communities and nations? These inquiries provide opportunities for deeper thinking and promote collaborative discussions, research, and debates, using tools such as data analysis and fieldwork.
The geography curriculum at Billesley is intentionally crafted to develop proactive global citizens. We aim to equip our children with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make a meaningful difference in the world, empowering them to contribute positively to a sustainable future for all. By promoting an understanding of global challenges and solutions, we inspire our children to take action and play an active role in shaping a better world for all.