Geography Curriculum Journey

Intent

The intent of the geography curriculum is that our children will have a deep understanding of their local environment and the diverse surroundings in the wider world, with appreciation to human and physical characteristics.  

We will deliver a curriculum that: 

• Inspires a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people  

• Equips children with an understanding of diverse places, people, resources and environments around them 

• Allows children to build on prior learning about physical and human processes and the formation and use of landscapes and environments 

• Develops an understanding that the Earth’s features are interconnected and change over time 

• Encourages exploration of their own environment and challenges pupils to make connections between their local surroundings and that of contrasting settlements   

• Use local area and community to develop geographical skills and knowledge  

Implementation

The Geography programme of study provided by the National Curriculum has been broken down to ensure both progression and coverage across and 2. The subject leader, will oversee the coverage of skills of geography across school. They will ensure to monitor, evaluate and review the teaching and learning. In order to do this, learning walks, book scrutinise and discussions with pupils will take place frequently throughout the academic year.  

The teaching, learning and sequencing of the curriculum follows:  

• A geography progression of skills that is organised into four main themes: Geographic and skills fieldwork; locational knowledge; human and physical; and place knowledge for each year group 

• Each theme will be taught explicitly through exciting topics, including links to other areas of the curriculum  

• Fieldwork allowing pupils to explore their local area 

• A teaching sequence that begins with a ‘hook’, builds knowledge and skills and concludes with a reflection including trips and showcases to an audience 

• Continuous CPD for teachers to ensure their skills and knowledge is developed to teach the skills confidently and accurately  

Impact 

• Opportunities for children to explore the outdoor learning environments, both within the school grounds and local community  

• Continued training and support for teachers ensuring they are the experts in the subjects that they teach  

• There will be a clear progression of skills across Key Stage 2 that builds on prior knowledge that can be demonstrated in books 

• Our children will be confident geographers and be able to clearly discuss their learning from past and current topics, as well as explain their next steps  

• Out-of-class opportunities ensure geography is ongoing and embedded as part of the Oakwood Eco journey e.g. Eco Warriors which provides children to take responsibility for looking after their environments.

Geography Silver Award

We are delighted to have been awarded the Geography Quality Mark Silver Award, recognising the strength and quality of geography teaching and learning across Oakwood Junior School.

The award highlighted our clear and ambitious vision for geography, which helps pupils develop a deep understanding of both their local area and the wider world. Inspectors praised the strong progression throughout the curriculum, with learning carefully sequenced to build pupils' knowledge and skills from Year 3 to Year 6.

A particular strength identified was our focus on developing pupils as young geographers. Through enquiry-based learning, children investigate real-world questions, analyse evidence, consider different viewpoints and draw informed conclusions. Geography learning is brought to life through meaningful studies of local and global issues, helping pupils develop critical thinking and geographical reasoning skills.

The award also recognised our effective use of the local area, including fieldwork opportunities linked to Alvaston, Derby and the surrounding environment. Experiences such as Forest School, local visits, river studies and environmental investigations help pupils develop a strong sense of place and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

In addition, the assessors praised our commitment to sustainability and global citizenship. Through projects exploring climate change, conservation, recycling, energy use and environmental responsibility, pupils gain a greater understanding of how human actions affect the planet and how they can make a positive difference.

We are extremely proud that this award acknowledges the high-quality geography curriculum and enriching experiences we provide for our pupils.