Geography

During Key Stage 1, children learn about their local area how it compares with other places around the world. They find out about the environment in both areas and the people who live there and start to learn about the wider world. They carry out their investigations both inside and outside the classroom using maps, photographs and computers.

Children are taught to:

• use geographical skills and resources, such as maps and plans, to find out about places
• identify and describe what places are like
• recognise how and why features change (for example, heavy rain causing floods)

At the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7), most children are able to:

• describe the main features of places they study, using geographical words such as 'hill', 'river' or 'north'
• express their own views about people, places and environments
• understand how places may be similar to and different from each other
• use globes, maps and plans at a range of scales
• recognise where things are and why they are there
• identify changes in the places they study
• see how people affect the environment
• find out about places by observing them, asking and answering questions and using other resources such as maps and photographs