GEOGRAPHY

The study of Geography plays a very important role in education, at all levels, as it prompts pupils to take a look at the world in which they live. It provides pupils with an opportunity to investigate the physical and human characteristics of the world and understand the close links between the human population and the natural environment. Geography encourages pupils to think on a wider scale and opens their minds to new and exciting ideas.

Staff
Head of Geography:	Mrs Melanie Thorpe BSc (Hons) PGCE
Teachers (Years 4 & 5):	Sally Nuttall CertEd
	Helen Edwards BA (Hons)PGCE
	Ann Turnbull MA PGCE
	Jeannie Whatmough JP DipCE
	Matthew Wood
	Rebecca Mann BA (Hons) PGCE
	Miss Alexa Toy BA PGCE
	Miss Lucy Turner BA PGCE
Teachers (Years 6, 7 & 8):	Roger Mills BEd (Hons)
	Mr Colin Langley BSc
	Mr Matthew Higgins

As a result, the National Curriculum for Geography at Key Stages 2 and 3 focuses on teaching the children to enquire about the world around them and to develop the skills needed to research and understand key issues in the world today. It also allows them to develop ways to express their own views and reactions and to draw conclusions from their studies. It also encourages them to use the appropriate terminology and to make use of the relevant instruments, resources, equipment and mediums, especially ICT, that will facilitate this process. Inevitably, in this ecologically aware world that we all now live in, the National Curriculum concentrates on the effect that we have on the local and global environment and encourages the children to consider how to improve and better manage their impact on the natural world.

Although we retain our independence and will sometimes include other elements that we think are important, we, at Clifton, have adopted many of the concepts that form the skeleton of the National Curriculum. Consequently pupils at Clifton Pre study a wide range of topics in each year group, all the while focusing on the key issues and themes that underpin the subject. During each year that pupils study Geography in the Pre they will acquire and develop many geographical skills, including map work and fieldwork. They will also be encouraged to extend their locational knowledge and investigate patterns and processes within the human world, through the study of such topics as settlement, transport, industry, farming, tourism, urban development and the differing environments which humans have created and inhabit. Alongside this; pupils will discover the forces and patterns within the natural world through the study of such topics as weather and climate, the water cycle, rocks, mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes. They will be encouraged to take a look at how humans affect these natural environments and processes and are affected by such things. As well as studying on a global scale, our own area of Bristol will also feature in these studies, as it is clearly as important to understand the immediate vicinity in which we live as it is to know about the world outside.

All in all the study of Geography in the Pre will provide them with a growing understanding of the world around them and, we hope, encourage them to gradually delve deeper into the subject to discover new and inspiring places. We hope that they will become confident and keen to develop a true appreciation of the environment in which they are growing up and the desire, knowledge and skills to improve it. That certainly should be the aspiration of each geographer – and it is now very much the aspiration here!

Key features of the Geography course for each year group

Year 4

Maps: to include using an atlas and understanding maps for different purposes.
OS maps: to include using OS maps, grid references, distance, direction and scale.
A rural settlement: a study of Askrigg
A seaside settlement: to include the study of tourism, transport, representing data and completing field sketches with a fieldtrip to Clevedon.
An urban settlement: a study of Karachi
How do we affect our environment? to develop debating, to look at current issues.
How can we improve the environment? to include carrying out a local survey, looking at recycling.
A local study: a study of the history and geography of The Avenue.

Year 5

What is Geography? to develop discussion skills and to understand what Geography is.
Developing map skills: to include drawing plans, describing places and further developing map skills.
The Water Cycle and Rivers: to include the study of rainfall, evaporation and the formation of clouds, a river’s course and river landscapes, world and local rivers.
A seaside settlement: a study of Barmouth
A rural settlement: a study of Cheddar with a fieldtrip to Cheddar.
An urban settlement: a study of a UK city such as Liverpool
Weather: to include a local survey of the weather.

Year 6

Rocks: to include the study of metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks, the rock cycle, limestone landscapes.
Mountains: to include identifying mountain ranges and chains around the world, physical geography of mountains and human impact on these environments.
National Parks: to include the study of the country code, a case study of a National Park and a fieldtrip to Dunster village in the Exmoor National Park.
Energy: to include the study of renewable and non-renewable energy, pollution, energy saving ideas.

Year 7

Restless Earth (Volcanoes and Earthquakes): to include the study of the earth’s structure, tectonic plates, examples of volcanoes and earthquakes from around the world, the effects of these natural disasters on human life.
Exploring the British Isles: to include the study of economic activity, population, tourism.
Italy, a country study: to include the study of the economy, population, tourism and be able to compare Italy with the British Isles.
Rivers: to include the study of rivers from source to mouth looking at key geographical features such as waterfalls with a fieldtrip to Sgwd y Eira waterfall in Wales.
Flooding: to include the study of the causes and effects of flooding around the world.

Year 8

Settlement: to include the study of settlement site, patterns, function, development & growth and redevelopment / regeneration, with a fieldtrip to Cardiff Bay and Bristol Docks redevelopments.
Coasts: to include the study of physical processes and human impacts / development at the coastline with specific reference to coastlines in the UK.
Brazil, a country study: to include investigating the characteristics of a newly industrialising country, the rich / poor divide, key cities and the economy of the largest country in South America.
World Weather Patterns: to include the study of climatic regions of the world and some extreme weather patterns from around the world.