Our curriculum aims to develop pupils’ understanding and curiosity of the world and their place in it. Through carefully structured learning of geographical processes, places, and investigative techniques, pupils will analyse geographical patterns and address the social and environmental challenges the world faces.
Geography
What are the aims and purpose of our curriculum?
What overarching curriculum principles inform the design of our curriculum?
Knowledge and vocabulary rich
This principle recognises the important role that knowledge, and vocabulary as a particularly important type of knowledge, plays in learning. We secure pupils’ knowledge of geographical processes, ensuring that this can be applied when learning about places and geographical issues. Pupils' locational and place knowledge is developed through a range of place-based and thematic topics, helping them understand the spatial patterns that underpin contemporary society. We map vocabulary across the curriculum, introducing new terms and repeating previously learnt vocabulary. This approach allows pupils to confidently apply geographical terms across different topics. Geographical investigation skills apply knowledge taught in the curriculum to develop pupils' expertise in fieldwork and in analysing spatial patterns using Geographical Information Systems.
Sequenced and coherent
A careful and purposeful sequencing of our curriculum content underpins the design of our curriculum, ensuring that pupils are able to build on and make links with existing knowledge.
At its simplest this means ensuring, for example, that pupils learn about the evidence and science behind climate change before pupils learn about the impact of climate change in subsequent topics throughout the curriculum.
Attention is paid to vertical coherence via threads, which map the developments of concepts over time, for example, in our thread about human processes, pupils are taught through the framing of their local area in year 1 through to learning about economic futures in the UK at GCSE.
Curriculum threads (Big Ideas)
- Local area
- The UK and regions
- Europe and regions
- Americas and regions
- Climate and weather
- Water and rivers
- Mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes
- Land use and settlement
- Economic activity
- Natural resources
- Earth geometry
- Human processes
- Physical processes
- Diversity
- Sustainability
- Interconnection
Evidence-informed
Our evidence-informed approach enables the rigorous application of research outcomes, science of learning and impactful best practice both in education in general and at a subject specific level. For example, the design of our resources reflects findings from Sweller’s cognitive load theory and Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning whilst our design draws on Rosenshine’s principles of instruction.
We also draw on findings from research organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). At the subject level we draw on the work of the Geographical Association alongside experts such as Young, Maude, Lambert, and Enser to develop lessons that offer pupils new ways of thinking about the world, provide them with the specialist knowledge to analyse and explain geographical patterns, and engage in contemporary debates.
Additionally, we take into account Owens’ and Roberts' research, encouraging pupils to reflect on their own experiences and geographical knowledge and to situate this within a broader disciplinary context. The significance of fieldwork, as emphasised by researchers like Kinder and Tanner, has shaped the integration of fieldwork throughout the curriculum.
How does our curriculum reflect the aims & purpose of the national curriculum?
There are three broad aims of the geography national curriculum. The first is that pupils ‘develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places’. Our curriculum includes a range of carefully chosen regional studies to develop pupils’ knowledge of the physical and human features of places around the world, how they are connected to other places and how they are shaped by geographical processes.
The second aim is that pupils ‘understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world’. Our learning framework breaks down information so that pupils gain a strong understanding of geographical processes and can apply them in different locational contexts.
The final aim is to ensure pupils ‘are competent in a range of geographical skills’. A range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are integrated throughout the curriculum and pupils are explicitly taught how to use these sources to analyse spatial variation and change over time. Fieldwork and its associated enquiry process is built into units across the curriculum, from year 1 to year 11, so that pupils understand how to create a geographical enquiry that deepens their understanding of people and places.
How does the curriculum address and enact recommendations from subject specific reports (e.g. EEF guidance reports & Ofsted Research Review)?
Our geography curriculum addresses a number of concerns identified in the recent Ofsted subject report. Topics are carefully planned to ensure progression as pupils move through the curriculum. Knowledge from previous units is used and built on in subsequent units to help pupils develop a broad understanding of places and processes. Threads, underpinned by more abstract broader concepts, are used to help pupils make links between topics and deepen their understanding of geographical issues.
Fieldwork is integrated into the curriculum, from year , allowing us to make use of our local area. Pupils will use the fieldwork enquiry process to plan and carry out fieldwork so that they are confident in investigating places and processes independently. Regional studies are planned in each key stage to give pupils deep knowledge and understanding of different places and avoid reinforcing ‘single story’ narratives. Places are purposely used as case studies in different topics so that pupils don’t associate places with solely one geographical phenomenon.
The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is integrated across the curriculum so that pupils can use different GIS to visualise and analyse spatial patterns as well as using GIS to add and process fieldwork data.
What geographical locations are featured in the curriculum?
The locations of our regional studies are chosen with diversity and global coverage in mind. In our primary curriculum, there is a focus on Europe plus North and South America.
Across the curriculum our regional studies are:
- UK
- London
- Jamaica
- The Lake District
- Europe
- Northern Italy
- North America
- South America
- The Amazon
Please find useful links below
Should you have any questions about the curriculum, please contact Mr Joseph via info@thelight-school.org
Please find useful links below
Should you have any questions about the curriculum, please contact Mr Joseph via info@thelight-school.org
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