Our Geography Curriculum Intent

Our aim at Oakridge School, is to inspire children’s curiosity, interest and appreciation for the world that we live in through exploring engaging topics about the world around them. We seek to create a life-long love of the subject, through teaching our children about diverse places, people and resources. Through the study of natural and human environments, as well as physical and human processes, our desire is to provide our children with a sense of awe and wonder about the world they live in.

As geographers, pupils are exposed to a rich and balanced curriculum that provides them with essential component knowledge and new vocabulary. As pupils progress through the school, they will develop an insight into the links between, physical and human processes and how landscapes and environments have changed and continue to change over time. Through ‘Big questions’ and links to the school threads, children will learn their role as global citizens and their place within the world. 

Our children are equipped with the knowledge and skills to ask and answer questions, explore differences and similarities and develop a rigorous understanding of the world around them. We encourage our pupils to reflect on their prior knowledge and experiences to apply their knowledge of the world around them so that they know more and remember more.

Implementation

We teach the National Curriculum, supported by clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensure that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. Existing knowledge is checked at the start of each new topic through the form of topic mats. These highlight key vocabulary to be covered in the upcoming topic.  This ensures that teaching is informed by the children's starting points and takes account of pupil voice.

It is important that children develop the skills of a geographer by fully immersing them in all areas of the subject. The local area is fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom and into our local area. School trips and fieldwork are provided to give first-hand experiences, which enhance children's understanding of the world beyond their locality.

Impact of Geography

As children progress throughout the school, they develop a deep knowledge, understanding an appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Assessing children’s understanding of topic vocabulary before and after the unit is taught.
• Pupil voice.
• Lesson observations.

By the time pupils leave Oakridge school they will:

• Have an excellent knowledge of where geographical places are and what they are like.
• Have an excellent understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected and how much human and physical environments are interrelated.
• Be able to compare contrasting climates using correct vocabulary, describing human and physical features.
• Have an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary.
• Have the ability to reach clear conclusions and develop reasoned arguments to explain findings.
• Have significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity as shown in interpretations and representations of data and graphs.
• Have a passion for and commitment to the subject, and a real sense of curiosity to find out about the world and the people who live there.
• Have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current and contemporary issues in society and the environment.

Our curriculum documents outline our intended curriculum:

Geography threads

Geography content document

Geography progression document