At Bill Quay, geography is about opening up the world to pupils and challenges them to think about where places are, how they function and how they are connected.

Geography at Key Stage 1 focuses on showing pupils what their immediate world is like in the UK and familiarises them with maps and symbols. Towards the end of Year 2, pupils compare our local area of Gateshead with the non-European country of Kenya, focusing on Nairobi.

Key Stage 2 geography spreads out to areas around the world, including Europe and North and South America. Mapping conventions are more detailed, including an introduction to latitude and longitude, as well as concepts such as the equator and the Tropics. Pupils are introduced to physical geography such as climate, vegetation, various landscapes and the water cycle, while human geography teaches them about settlement, industry, trade and natural resources.

Pupils will use technology such as Digimaps to explore the world, and will take part in fieldwork to understand it. Fieldwork allows pupils to see the real world outside the classroom, develop a sense of place and investigate the world around them. There is a strong focus in our geography curriculum on the River Tyne, the impact of it on human life, the impact of humans on it and how it has changed over time.

Questions will support children in thinking, connecting and reflecting about geography:

• Where is this?
• What is going on here?
• What kind of place is this?
• How is this like other places?
• How is it connected to other places?
• Is this somewhere I can go?