Intent
Our geography curriculum is designed to give all children as much experience as they can to love the world around them and make sense of it. We want the children to develop curiosity and fascination about the world in which they live and to develop skills and knowledge to ask and answer questions to deepen their understanding. This links closely to our school values of confidence, curiosity and consideration.
As geographers, our curriculum encourages children to:
- Develop their knowledge of where places are and what they are like.
- Develop the understanding of how physical and human features are interconnected.
- Develop geographical vocabulary.
- Use field work and other geographical skills.
Explain their findings and give opinions based on information they have gathered and their knowledge of issues in the environment and society.
We’re committed to ensuring continuity and progression across all year groups, tailoring learning to cater to the needs of all pupils and fostering an inclusive environment. Geographical vocabulary is carefully woven through our curriculum as a foundation for developing a rich understanding of geography.
Implementation
Our geography curriculum is planned to ensure that learning is sequential and builds on prior learning, providing a clear progression from EYFS through to Key Stage 2. Starting with the familiar and everyday geographical contexts in EYFS, such as My Environment – people and school and My Environment- local area, we lay the groundwork for geographical curiosity and understanding.
As pupils progress to Key Stage 1, the curriculum expands to allow for the exploration of physical and human landscapes, including the learning about the United Kingdom, continents and oceans. This sets a firm foundation for the more detailed geographic study that follows.
Key Stage 2 widens this knowledge base, looking into more complex studies of diverse place types both within the UK and globally. This structured approach develops children’s geographic knowledge but also fosters a global perspective and sharpens enquiry skills.
Our planning is designed to connect new knowledge with what students have previously learned, whilst considering the complexities of mixed-aged classes. To bring geography to life and develop geographical thinking, we use enquiry questions grounded in geography. This is underpinned by a focus on geographic vocabulary and the understanding of core concepts such as place, scale, interdependence, physical and human processes, environmental impact and cultural diversity. Each unit balances acquiring knowledge about the geographic theme covered (substantive knowledge) and the opportunity to develop their skills as geographers (disciplinary knowledge), ensuring students not only learn about geography but think like geographers.
Impact
Our geography curriculum’s focus on explicit skill teaching allows continuous assessment of learning, for both teachers and pupils, throughout every lesson. At the start of each topic, pupils are presented with an enquiry question, beginning their exploration with an enquiry page that captures their initial understanding. This starting point serves as a live document, revisited throughout the topic, allowing pupils to visibly track their knowledge growth as they learn new information.
The end of each unit features a reflective and inventive exercise where pupils summarise their learning in response to the initial enquiry question. They create a double-page spread that illustrates their understanding and the extent of their geographical knowledge. This approach not only showcases their personal learning journey but also secures a solid understanding of geographic concepts and their ability to engage with geographical issues.