Intent
At Bowbrook Primary, our geography curriculum aims to inspire a lifelong interest in geography and empower pupils to aspire to become experts in the subject. We want pupils to understand why the world is the way it is by developing curiosity and critical thinking about places, people, and environments. We intend to:
- Provide a coherent, sequenced curriculum that builds substantive knowledge (facts, concepts, and vocabulary) and disciplinary knowledge (thinking and working like a geographer).
- Teach pupils to observe, describe, and explain geographical phenomena, fostering an appreciation of the interaction between physical and human processes.
- Develop pupils’ ability to use subject-specific vocabulary confidently, enabling them to articulate ideas and build cultural capital.
- Implementation
- EYFS: Geography is embedded within Understanding the World, focusing on exploration, observation, and discussion. Children learn through first-hand experiences, stories, and Forest School activities, developing early awareness of their environment and sustainability.
- Curriculum Design: Knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced ensuring progression and connections across topics. Each unit explicitly teaches both substantive content (e.g., continents, climate zones) and disciplinary concepts (e.g. place, scale and space).
- Teaching Approaches:
- Use of fieldwork to collect, analyse, and communicate data.
- Interpretation of maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs, and GIS.
- Opportunities to communicate geographical information through maps, numerical data, and extended writing.
- Vocabulary Development: Subject-specific terminology is introduced and revisited to deepen understanding.
- Cultural Capital: Global perspectives and sustainability themes are embedded to broaden pupils’ horizons.
Impact
- Pupils demonstrate secure knowledge and skills, making connections across topics and applying disciplinary thinking.
- Learning walks, book scrutiny, and pupil voice show that pupils enjoy geography, can recall prior learning, and use precise vocabulary confidently.
Geography Long term plan
GEOGRAPHY Progression of skills