Geography

Intent

At Christ Church, we aim to provide an ambitious, diverse, inclusive, broad and balanced curriculum that develops children’s understanding of ‘a sense of place’. We seek to promote an interest in and celebration of diverse places and people and an appreciation of the interconnection of human and natural environments and resources. This will empower our children to become informed, responsible global citizens. We seek to develop cultural capital in all children through memorable experiences and rich opportunities.

The principles of the Early Years foundation stage underpin our Geography Curriculum. Through hands-on experiences, children build a solid foundation of geographical knowledge and skills that prepare them for future learning.

Our curriculum is inclusive, ensuring that all children feel nurtured and valued. We provide opportunities for all children through a wide range of geographical perspectives, cultures and experiences. Through careful curriculum planning for progression of skills and knowledge, our Geography Curriculum enables all children to develop a strong sense of worth and achievement. We challenge all children to extend their geographical knowledge, skills, understanding, and geographical vocabulary, fostering a sense of curiosity and adventure that will last throughout their lives.

Implementation

At Christ Church we use the CUSP Geography Scheme to deliver a broad, creative and inclusive curriculum for all children which is based on the knowledge and skills as defined in the Geography National Curriculum. By implementing our Geography Curriculum with a focus on the spiral curriculum approach, we are committed to ensuring that key concepts are not only learned but also embedded in pupil’s long-term memory. Ambitious Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary is taught and reviewed throughout our curriculum.

We believe in learning experiences that encourage pupils to engage directly with geographical concepts. Through hands-on activities, fieldwork, and interactive exercises, students are encouraged to explore, question, and apply their knowledge, leading to deeper understanding and retention.

Each encounter with a geographical concept serves as an opportunity for reinforcement and review. By revisiting these concepts in different contexts and with increasing complexity, we aim to solidify pupils' knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts. The structure of the six-part lesson:

• Review previous learning (flickbacks)

• New (Key) knowledge Notes provided with a focus on vocabulary – tier 2 and tier 3

• Modelling e.g. using a map/collecting data/extracting information

• Practise - individual

• Application - locate/explain/sequence/analyse

• Summary/Evaluation - ongoing formative assessment – lesson quizzes

This lesson structure enables children to develop their knowledge and skills with increasing independence, leading them to become self-regulatory learners with the attitude, ‘Know more, remember more, do more’.

Our curriculum includes regular formative assessments, such as observations and quizzes. These assessments gauge pupils' understanding and retention of key concepts. This allows for timely intervention, scaffolding and support as needed, as well as supporting areas for growth. 

At Christ Church, our Geography Curriculum for Key stage 1 and Key stage 2 is delivered using the materials from the CUSP curriculum, which closely follows the National Curriculum. In EYFS, Geography is covered through Knowledge and Understanding the World. Finding out about the world around them is what children do effectively through hands on experiences. This is delivered through continuous provision daily. Through the implementation of the EYFS curriculum, and its focus on practical learning, children at Christ Church are well prepared for the Key Stage 1 curriculum.

Children also participate in wider opportunities for learning within the school and community including Refugee Week, My Heritage Project, Windrush Day and Sustainability project called, Let's Go Zero.

Impact

At Christ Church, we set high expectations and our Geography Curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression. We measure the impact of our curriculum in a number of ways including pupil voice, assessing children’s understanding of theme linked vocabulary and results of formative quizzes.

As children progress throughout the school, they develop life long skills and a deep knowledge, acquiring a sense of place and an appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. They become global citizens with a sense of responsibility for the wider world and its diverse environments and people.

• By end of the Geography curriculum, our children will: 

• Have a growing knowledge of the world and their place in it.

• Have a wider vocabulary of geographical terms.                               

• Aspire to discover more about the world, through reading, travel or the media.

• Develop their geographical skills, such as, evaluation, creativity, problem solving and enquiry.