In Geography, a Roundwood leaver will know…
…an understanding of the processes that shape the natural world fosters an appreciation of the world in which we live. By learning about the different environments on earth, pupils will understand the biodiversity of our planet and the way in which careful resource management is key to the longevity of human habitation on earth. Through exploring their local environment, pupils will gain an understanding of the needs of a community and how these needs can be met via sustainable means.
Geography enables pupils to understand the relationship between the human and physical aspects of the world. By the time children leave Roundwood they will be able to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, and show an understanding of the interconnectedness of the world in which they live.
In Foundation Stage, pupils develop a wider understanding of their local environment and how they interact within this. Through outside play and discovery, children explore a variety of natural elements such as water, sand and earth and note changes in their environment as the seasons change. They create simple maps of their environment and explore the connections that exist between places. Opportunities to share information about geographical differences between home and the places visited on holiday are also provided to enable simple geographical language to be explored.
Building on the skills from Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 pupils begin to identify continents, seas and countries and animals living within these. By comparing the physical and human geography of the U.K. and Kenya, children develop a geographical awareness of the differences between continents and compare and contrast locations within them. They develop their map skills, using globes, atlases and local maps to identify places being studied.
In Lower Key Stage 2, children build on this knowledge, comparing their locality with settlements in the U.K. and Europe and broaden their awareness of the powers that shape our Earth by learning about its structure and how tectonic plates create volcanoes and earthquakes. Pupils will compare and contrast two great rivers of the world and explore how, over time, their uses have changed and developed and how they are managed as a natural resource.
By the end of Key Stage 2, our children will have developed the appropriate geographical skills to conduct independent investigations into biomes, global trade and mountains of the world. Children produce detailed reports using case studies and take part in primary research on field trips exploring how natural elements shape the landscape over the time.
Outside the classroom, the school encourages pupils to focus on the natural world through their roles as Eco Councillors, developing others’ awareness of environmental issues, and through participation in Wildlife Explorer Club, where pupils study and appreciate the nature within our school surroundings.
