Geography

"Geography underpins a lifelong “conversation” about the earth as the home of humankind." ~ Geography Association

At Radstock Primary School, Geography is an essential part of the curriculum. We feel it is important to nurture and encourage the natural curiosity that children have and help them to learn about the world around them. It is important to prepare children for the future and enable them to grow up, fully informed about the world and how they can make an impact. We use our learning projects as the basis to built our geographical skills and knowledge and teach the curriculum in a way that makes it real to each individual by discussing places we have visited and that are of local importance.

The source of Geography begins in the Foundation stage where children experience first-hand the world around them. ‘Understanding the World’ is a curriculum area that encourages children to be inquisitive and excited about the world we live in. We begin to draw maps, look at the features of our environment and share the importance of observing our world.

In Key Stage 1, we begin to look in more detail at our local area, especially with our topics of ‘Street Detectives’ where we go out on local walks around Lower Earley and ‘Moon Zoom’ where we look at the aerial images of where we live in comparison to other countries in the world. We learn about human and physical features and use these skills to interpret and draw maps. In Key Stage 2, the children have the opportunity to immerse themselves in all things geographical during their residential trips in Year 4 and Year 6. They get to experience new places in the country and see geographical features up close.

At Radstock, we also aim to instil in children a sense of environmental responsibility and encourage them to understand environmental issues at a local and global level. We have an Eco-Committee made up of two children from each class, who are beginning to look at important areas such as our energy efficiency and reducing litter around the school.

It was once said by Michael Palin that, ‘Geography is a subject which holds the key to our future’. At Radstock, we recognise the importance of this subject and enjoy making it relevant and engaging for all the children.

Curriculum Leader: Miss Riddell