Geography at Southery Academy 

Geography teaches an understanding of places, people and environments. It motivates children to find out about the physical world, enabling them to recognise the importance of sustainable development, and how we live, for the future of mankind. 

 
Intent 

Our Geography curriculum is designed so that it is ambitious for all learners. Knowledge, skills and concepts are clearly outlined in an age-appropriate, progressive way from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Year 6, so that the children’s understanding can be built upon, year upon year. We aim for a good understanding and conceptual development for all learners, giving access where necessary by scaffolding, supporting with staff or adapting the learning tasks so that all children develop as geographers. Stretch tasks are also included to challenge and support our higher achievers and those with a will to go that extra mile. There are close links with science and maths, by way of surveys, local studies and collection and management of data.  

 
Implementation 

In Geography, children learn about their local area and compare their life in this area with that in other regions in the UK and the rest of the world. They learn how to draw and interpret maps and they develop the skills of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, they gain an appreciation of life in other cultures.  In addition, we teach the growing realisation of the impact of climate change on our lives both now and in the future and therefore we react to these changes as new information comes forward. Where possible, we aim to make geography practical and hands on, starting from what the children already know and can see (our local community) and moving further afield.  

 
Impact 

At Southery, we strive for all pupils to achieve their maximum potential, by having high expectations and excellent standards. Our stimulating Geography curriculum ensures the children develop a love of learning, which should engage them into becoming life-long learners. Through our monitoring programme, feedback is given to staff to ensure consistency of approach. We have seen that all learners are able to access our teaching and learning activities and show a growing knowledge and application of geography skills.