Intent

Geography is an integral part of our curriculum. Our aim at St. Patrick's is to motivate and inspire children, equipping them with the skills they need in Geography for life. We want to instil our children with a lifelong curiosity and fascination about the world in which they live and help them to enjoy learning about different global communities and the relationships between these people and their landscapes. Through our curriculum, we want to equip children to be Global Citizens: to develop an awareness of the wider world and their place within it, encourage them to take an active role in the community and work with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fairer. We hope that our children will become passionate about the planet and actively involved in protecting the environment.

Our Geography curriculum is designed to deepen knowledge and develop key skills. We aim to ensure effective progression within each Geography unit and across all year groups.  Our School Mission Statement is at the heart of our curriculum as we seek to ‘Serve, love, learn and inspire each other to excellence’ following the example of Jesus. 

Implementation

In Geography, we implement an inclusive curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum, incorporating the four main areas of learning at each key stage: place, location, human and physical and geographical skills and fieldwork.

Our curriculum is carefully-planned and provides literacy-rich, cross-curricular opportunities providing sophisticated links to provide effective links across subjects to ensure cohesion across the whole curriculum. At the beginning of each Geography unit, children share their prior knowledge, which helps to inform planning and teaching. A series of stimulating lessons are planned, with clear knowledge and skills-based learning objectives and subject-specific vocabulary. Activities are planned to demonstrate progress, knowledge and understanding. Teachers assess learning in Geography against knowledge and skills-based learning objectives within unit overviews.

Our curriculum is delivered through highly effective ‘quality first teaching’ using a range of schemes and resources, such as Plan Bee and Twinkl. Enrichment opportunities, including outdoor learning, provide our children with rich experiences and enhance teaching, learning and knowledge. The curriculum promotes children’s Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development, enabling them to become more reflective and responsible citizens.

Impact

Our carefully-planned Geography curriculum ensures that children are competent in the geographical skills needed to collect, analyse and communicate data, and to interpret a range of geographical sources, including maps, globes and aerial photographs. Children are able to communicate information in a variety of ways including maps, numerical skills and a range of literacy skills.

Through the breadth and depth that our Geography curriculum offers, our children are provided with a broad knowledge of the world they live in, and understand, as responsible citizens, how they need to care and preserve the planet for future generations.

“I’m really enjoying learning about the local area where we live!” Bella

'I enjoy Geography because my teacher makes the lessons fun and straight forward!” Lance

“I like that we learn interesting facts about countries, where they are and all about the area.”  William