We want our children to be curious about the world around them and to understand their place in their local community, Britain and the wider world.  Through the teaching of geographical knowledge and skills our children  will develop an understanding, respect and curiosity for different cultures and societies and the physical world around them. 

We begin in Nursery and Reception by using the children’s own personal experiences of their home, school and immediate locality, to help them develop an awareness of place. For example, short walks in the local area and their journeys to and from school are used to develop their observational skills by noticing features of their surroundings. The school grounds and trips in the local area are also used to develop mapping skills as children progress through Key Stage 1. As in history, in Key Stage 1 we teach geography within cross-curricular topics to strengthen and enrich the children’s knowledge and understanding of different places around the world and to help them to compare life in non-European countries to life in Stoneleigh.  In particular, we make use of the school’s links with M’temambalame School in Malawi to bring to life some of the differences and similarities in life around the globe. Locational knowledge and geographical vocabulary are taught as part of these topics to ensure they are relevant and engaging to the children. We enjoy recreating environments such as the Arctic and rainforests within the school to fuel the children’s imaginations and immerse them in their topics.