Geography
Curriculum Intent
1. Develop a Sense of Place: our curriculum fosters curiosity and an in-depth understanding of their immediate surroundings (local environment, the UK), and how it connects to the wider world.
2. Global Awareness: Equip students with knowledge of diverse places, people, and regions, fostering an appreciation for the world's rich culture and an understanding of the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world.
3. Geographical Thinking: Pupils cultivate a deeper understanding of how the world works, recognising the interconnectedness of physical and human geography (e.g., climate, ecosystems, societies).
4.Geographical skills: We ensure pupils are taught the skills needed to act as Geographers, analysing, interpreting and collecting information, including maps and globes.
5. Social and Global Citizenship: Our curriculum intends to encourage pupils to develop a sense of responsibility to the world they live in, including its environment. Our curriculum promotes social awareness and a commitment to addressing global challenges.
Curriculum Implementation
At South Borough, we follow the Primary Knowledge Curriculum scheme of learning for Geography, aligned with the National Curriculum. In Key Stage 1, Geography is taught in three terms per year, while in Key Stage 2, it's taught each term in a sequence of six lessons. Geographical learning begins in Early Years, where children explore their immediate environment and develop foundational geographical skills and vocabulary. Building on this, the curriculum gradually widens the scope of learning, progressing from the local area to global geography. Our curriculum strives to go further than the content of the National Curriculum, allowing pupils the opportunity to learn about a variety of continents and concepts.
Geography lessons at South Borough emphasise inquiry based learning, research, and collaborative work. Children are encouraged to review prior learning, explore their existing knowledge, and engage in meaningful and enjoyable learning experiences. Key aspects of the curriculum include developing map reading skills, subject-specific vocabulary, and locational knowledge. The school's urban location with rural connections provides opportunities for fieldwork and hands-on learning experiences. We aim to ensure our curriculum is vocabulary rich, therefore new vocabulary is introduced through clear definitions, visual aids, and repeated use in context.
The curriculum is planned with clear end points for each unit. Within each lesson, clear target memories are delivered, which underpin the learning that will take place. Teachers continuously assess pupil progress through live feedback, observations, recorded work, and the regular review of target memories. End-of-unit assessment questions are designed to provide a comprehensive picture of a pupil's understanding of a topic. To ensure inclusive learning, a variety of teaching methods and resources are employed. Where necessary, learning is adapted to suit the needs of the learner: large maps in all rooms, access to an up to date atlas and picture prompts for vocabulary are just a few ways in which learners are supported.
A typical Geography lesson may involve a review of prior learning, introduction of new content, hands-on activities, independent or group work, and a concluding discussion before reviewing the target memories. Our Geography curriculum encourages a variety of enrichment opportunities which includes school trips/field work, guest speakers, and independent research projects.
Knowledge Organisers
| Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | |
| Year 1 | Spatial Sense | The UK | Seven Continents |
| Year 2 | Spatial Sense | The British Isles | Northern Europe |