Intent 

We have developed a Geography curriculum that aims to engage pupils in enquiries about the area in which they live and global concerns. The study of geography involves our pupils exploring the relationship and interactions between people and the environments in which they live and upon which all life on Earth depends. We want our children to have an understanding of the opportunities and challenges that will arise during their lifetime that face our planet on a personal, national and global scale.  

We believe that the following are the key skills of a good Geographer, and we aim for all our pupils to develop these: 

• Thinking critically 

• Evaluating sources of information and data 

• Reaching informed decisions of the world by organising and connecting information and ideas about people, places, processes and environments 

• Increasing the range and accuracy of investigative skills and advancing their ability to select and apply these with increasing independence to geographical enquiry.  

• Compare and contrast between different geographical areas around the world 

Alongside these skills, we also aim to ensure that our curriculum is progressively challenging in terms of both knowledge acquisition, as well as the development of cognitive skills. We have carefully planned a progression of skills and knowledge within each Year group as well as across the whole curriculum. We have liaised with our feeder Infant school to ensure that there are no elements of repetition, and all knowledge and skills are progressive. 

We have carefully planned our Geography Curriculum to focus on our local area. We have chosen to, where possible, use a variety of local areas as case studies to ensure that children are able to build a deep understanding of geographical knowledge and skills. We believe that the best way for our children to understand the concepts of the geography curriculum is to apply them to the local area. 

Due to the location of our school in an Urbanised Coastal location we have focused our studies on issues that are present in these areas, such as coastal erosion, flooding and tourism. We have used the National Curriculum to inform our choices regarding which areas and features to study and have put them into a logical, progressive, broad and balanced curriculum. We have presented opportunities for children to compare and contrast their locations with others around the world. 

We have embedded the concepts into our curriculum in this way to enable our children to build on their prior learning, as well as to compare and contrast throughout their learning journey developing a greater depth of skill and understanding. 

We have thought carefully about how to contextualise our children’s geographical learning by researching and finding local sights for case studies, as well as sourcing resources that enable our children to get ‘hands on’ with their learning. We have a wide range of resources on our doorstep that enable us to give children the opportunity to develop their geographical skills through the use of equipment and meeting experts which will inspire and excite our children to develop their geographical knowledge and skill. 

Implementation 

We adopt an enquiry-focused approach to the teaching and learning of Geography, which develops our pupils as young geographers. Through enquiry, our pupils not only build subject knowledge and understanding, but become increasingly adept at critical thinking, the use of specialised vocabulary and their grasp of subject concepts. We structure learning in Geography through question-led enquiries about relevant geographical topics, places and themes. Our curriculum is therefore ‘knowledge rich’ rather than content heavy as we recognise that if we attempt to teach geographical topics, places, themes and issues in their entirety, we restrict opportunities for pupils to master and apply critical thinking skills and achieve more challenging subject outcomes.  

We adopt a policy of immersive learning in Geography that provides sufficient time and space for our pupils not only to acquire new knowledge and subject vocabulary, but also to develop cognitive skills, subject concepts and therefore understand the significance of what they have learned.  

The learning in Geography at Bethany is interactive and practical allowing opportunities for pupils to work independently, as well as collaboratively both inside and outside of the classroom. Wherever possible we provide varied including the use of mysteries, maps at different scales, GIS, geographical puzzles, photographs and dramas. 

We provide rich, varied and differentiated ways for pupils to record outcomes of their work including the use of PowerPoint, concept mapping, annotated diagrams, improvised drama and the application of a wide range of writing genres. Only in this way will knowledge become embedded and ensure that our pupils can build on what they know and understand from one year to the next.  

Our Geography curriculum also recognises the importance of the local area with a number of our investigations involving observations, recording, presentation, interpretation and the evaluation of geographical information outside of the classroom. We have also aimed to make diagonal links with other subjects to contextualise and embed knowledge and skill. 

Impact 

For each unit of work in Geography, there are clearly articulated expectations for pupils to achieve, which we have identified as being appropriate expected outcomes. These outcomes identify both the knowledge that a pupil should have gained over the course of the unit of work and the skills that a pupil should have mastered in order to understand the significance of what they now know.  

In reaching judgements against these outcomes, teachers draw upon the wide range of formative assessment that they have undertaken throughout each unit of work.  

We recognise that not all pupils will achieve appropriate expected outcomes. Therefore, we have identified expected outcomes for each unit of work in geography for pupils working towards the expected standard. We have also identified expected outcomes for each unit of work in Geography for pupils working at greater depth within the expected standard.