Geography at The Royal School
At the Royal School our geography curriculum aims to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographer.
We want pupils to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record necessary data in various ways, and analyse and present their findings.
We aim to build an awareness of how geography shapes our lives over time. We hope to encourage pupils to become resourceful, active citizens who will have the skills to contribute to and improve the world around them.
Through our curriculum we encourage:
- A strong focus on developing both geographical skills and knowledge.
- Critical thinking, with the ability to ask perceptive questions and explain and analyse evidence.
- The development of fieldwork skills across each year group.
- A deep interest and knowledge of pupils’ locality and how it differs from other areas of the world.
- A growing understanding of geographical concepts, terms and vocabulary.
We use Kapow Primary’s geography scheme of work as the basis of our geography curriculum which aligns with the national curriculum and is organised under four strands:
• Locational knowledge
• Place knowledge
• Human and physical geography
• Geographical skills and fieldwork
Our geography is taught as a spiral curriculum, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Locational knowledge, in particular, is reviewed in each unit to consolidate children’s understanding of key concepts, such as scale and place, in geography.
Cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their geography skills to other areas of learning.
The children are provided with opportunities to develop their fieldwork skills in the school grounds, within The Great Park and further afield as often as possible.
Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical, creative, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with different learning styles. We adapt learning for every lesson to ensure that all pupils can access it, and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required.
Knowledge organisers are used for each unit to support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
The impact of our geography curriculum is constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Our teachers assess pupils against the learning objectives and any relevant geographical enquiry skills through the use of low stake quizzes and the use of resources such as knowledge and skills catchers. Opportunities for the children to communicate using geographical vocabulary will also form part of the assessment process in each unit.