Welcome to Geography

At Ark Blacklands, we aim to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Our Geography Curriculum is designed to impart 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.

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.

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At Ark Blacklands, children’s discovery of the world around them and their awareness of place begins in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where children begin to recognise similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They begin to explain why some things occur and talk about changes.

Our KS1 and KS2 Geography Curriculum is carefully mapped so that all pupils are equipped with a deep knowledge of locations, places and geographical landscapes across the world alongside an understanding of the conditions, processes and interactions that explain features, distribution patters and changes over time and space. Pupils are also provided with opportunities to develop and apply their geographical skills in map reading and observing, collecting, analysing, evaluating and communicating geographical information.

• Year 1: My Local Area, The United Kingdom
• Year 2: Planet Earth, Life in Kenya
• Year 3: Race Around Britain, Europe, Habitats
• Year 4: The Amazon: Rivers and Rainforests, The USA
• Year 5: Asia: Mountains, Volcanoes and Earthquakes
• Year 6: Sustainable Energy, Local and Global Mapping

In Key Stage 1, Pupils begin their journey in geography with a study of the familiar: the local area. They then move outwards to study the United Kingdom and outwards again in to gain an overview of the world and the continents and oceans within it before focussing on what life is like in Kenya.?’.

In Key Stage 2, pupils explore the human and physical geography of a range of different locations and places: the United Kingdom, Europe, Italy, the Amazon, the USA and Asia. They also develop their understanding of physical geography including that of climate zones, biomes, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes. Studies of the rainforests, natural disasters and challenges faced across the globe ensure pupils are also developing their understanding of the interaction between humans and the natural world. In each year group, pupils are able to explore using digital resources, globes and atlases.

Children in our Reception classes begin to develop their geographical understanding and vocabulary through topics, where they learn that there is a world beyond their own doorstep. Through stories, role-play, small -world play and visits to places, such as the local woods and Alexandra Park, they begin to understand that there are other countries in the world, developing an early concept of biodiversity. Children in reception also begin to develop other geographical skills such as mapping and fieldwork, for example during their animal, growth and journeys topics. First- hand experiences and learning outside in the natural environment help them to learn about the importance of caring for our planet and lays the foundations for developing an understanding of physical and human geographical features of the world.

All Reception subjects Next Reception Subject - Religious Education

All Year 1 subjects Next Year 1 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 2 subjects Next Year 2 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 3 subjects Next Year 3 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 4 subjects Next Year 4 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 5 subjects Next Year 5 Subject - Religious Education

All Year 6 subjects Next Year 6 Subject - Religious Education