Geography
Geography at St Mary's begins with the world around us. We want our children to be fascinated by places, curious about the people who live in them and interested in the natural processes that shape our planet.
Through our Kapow Primary geography curriculum, children journey from their local environment to places across the UK and around the world. Along the way, they encounter mountains, rivers, rainforests, deserts, oceans, settlements and changing populations. They develop a growing sense of where places are, what makes them distinctive and how people and environments are connected.
Being a geographer also means finding things out. Children learn to read and interpret maps, use atlases and digital mapping, observe their surroundings and undertake fieldwork. As they progress through the school, they become increasingly confident collecting information, spotting patterns, comparing places and using evidence to explain what they have discovered.
Ultimately, we want our children to leave St Mary's knowling more about their world, understanding their place within it and equipped to keep exploring it.
We believe geography should be something that every child can appreciate and enjoy, so adaptive teaching ensures that all children can participate in geographical learning and enquiry. We make geographical ideas accessible by breaking down concepts such as place, scale, location and interconnection, while explicitly teaching the vocabulary children need to explain their thinking. Visual resources, maps, practical experiences, structured discussion and appropriate scaffolding allow all children to participate in geographical enquiry and work towards the same ambitious outcomes.
Our curriculum introduces children to a rich variety of people, places, cultures and environments both locally and across the wider world. We are careful to challenge stereotypes and present places and communities respectfully and accurately, helping our children to recognise different perspectives, appreciate diversity and develop a sense of their own place within an interconnected world.