We believe that children need to learn core knowledge whilst developing the necessary skills to make them independent thinkers who will progress through school and beyond. With this in mind, our staff have worked hard to develop a History and Geography curriculum which is dynamic, broad, balanced and innovative to ensure that the children enjoy a practical, fun, challenging learning experience that will prepare them for life in 21st Century Britain. We recognise that children need a curriculum that is wider than the statutory National Curriculum. Where possible, subject specific content is covered within the context of whole term topics. Staff within each Key Stage plan together to cover all areas of the curriculum over the course of a two year rolling programme which accommodates our mixed year group classes. Some topics will lean more towards History than Geography and vise versa but across the year a balance of subjects is covered.
Knowledge (what children understand and remember) for each topic is celebrated at the end of each unit of study via pupils completing personal ‘Double Page Spreads’. These are an opportunity for them to creatively express all that they have learnt over the term.
Teachers are exploring how the following Geographical threads can woven into topics across Key Stage 1 and 2. Common threads support linked learning within the subject:
| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year A | Celebrate & Remember: The Gunpowder Plot Use maps to find where London is within the UK and the wider world Compass points and directional language
| Explore and Discover: Space Look at the globe and identify continents and oceans Night and day and season changes in relation to the earth's rotation in space Phases of the moon
| Lands far away: Rainforests Finding the equator Locating rainforests Comparing the climate of a rainforest and England Identify similarities and differences in human and physical geography between Windsor and Costa Rica Record weather patterns Explore the impact of deforestation on our climate |
| Year B | Fire Fire Use map skills to describe where the Great Fire of London began and spread Use current and historic maps to identify the River Thames Describe ways in which London has changed as a city since 1666 Identify some of Sir Christopher Wren's buildings | Our Wonderful Selves Use world maps and local maps to talk about where members of our families come form or currently live
Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of our school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment. Use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; Devise a simple map of our school and use and construct basic symbols in a key | We live in Royal Windsor Use maps to find where Windsor is within the UK and the wider world Plot the rout of the changing of the guard on a map Identify and discuss differences and similarities between Windsor and Himeji Describe human and physical features of Windsor and Himeji
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| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year A Location Knowledge | Imposing invaders: Romans Name and locate some of the countries that made up the Roman Empire Name the major cities and towns in Britain that were developed by the Romans during their occupation of Britain | Journey to the unknown: Japan Locating Japan and its neighbouring countries on a map Naming the capital city, major cities, mountains and rivers | The sweetest thing: Chocolate Identify Central and South America on a map and in an atlas Name the major countries that make up the Mayan, Inca and Aztec civilizations. |
Year A Human & Physical Geography | Imposing invaders: Romans Significant changes to Britain following the Roman invasion and occupation - creation of cities and towns, road network, drinking water What natural resources was Britain rich in that the Romans wanted? Copper, tin, gold, silver, fertile land for farming | Journey to the unknown: Japan Understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, landscapes/ terrain, major rivers, mountains, oceans and seas Describe and understand how earthquakes and Tsunamis happen
| The sweetest thing: Chocolate Compare and contrast the climate and other physical Geographical aspects of these countries with a country in Europe (Switzerland). Know how chocolate was used as a currency to trade with other countries and foreign invaders. Investigate Fairtrade in relation to the production of chocolate |
| Year B Location Knowledge | Walk like an Egyptian Identify Egypt on a world map as a country within in North Africa (Continent) Know and locate the capital city, major towns & cities and landmarks of Egypt such as the Great Pyramids, The River Nile, The sphinx | Fire it up: Stone Age - Bronze Age Know about significant early human sites in the UK such as Skara Brae and Stone Henge | Love the local life you live: Windsor Identify Windsor, RBWM and Berkshire on a map and in an atlas Identify the 4 home nations and their capitals on a map |
| Year B Human & Physical Geography | Walk like an Egyptian Investigate the sources and route of the river Nile using maps Explore the importance of the Nile to the people of Egypt over time and how it led to human settlement and development of towns and cities
| Fire it up: Stone Age - Bronze Age Describe geographical changes to Britain since the Stone Age period -By the end of the stone age, sea levels had risen so much that Britain became an island Understand the significance of rock types used for different purposes during this period and what this tells us about people's movement between geographic areas | Love the local life you live: Windsor Identify and describe similarities and differences between Windsor and other cities with castles (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh) Explore local building materials and recognise these in local structures and buildings
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Specific details of this term and previous term's learning can be seen in the Learning Updates published each half term.