At Bowdon Church School (BCS), our geography curriculum is designed with the intent to cultivate a generation of informed, curious, and environmentally conscious citizens. We aim to provide our students with a comprehensive understanding of the world around them, promoting both local and global awareness through the following key objectives. Our vision is that children can find themselves in new and unfamiliar places but be able to make sense of it: what has shaped it, what continues to shape it, and what will shape it in the future?

1. Cultivate Curiosity and Critical Thinking:

   • Encourage students to ask 'why?' the world is as it is. They will ask questions, explore geographical phenomena, and develop critical thinking skills about their environment and the wider world.

2. Foster Local and Global Understanding:

   • Equip children with in-depth knowledge of their local community and its geographical features, while also broadening their understanding to include diverse cultures, environments, and global issues.

3. Promote Environmental Stewardship:

   • Instil a sense of responsibility and stewardship towards the environment, teaching students the importance of sustainability and their role in preserving the planet.

4. Develop Geographical Skills:

   • Provide students with essential geographical skills, including mapping, data analysis, and fieldwork, in line with the National Curriculum, enabling them to apply their knowledge practically.

5. Enhance Cultural Capital:

   • Create opportunities for students to engage with a variety of geographical themes, fostering an appreciation for diversity and cultural differences within and beyond their local context.

6. Encourage Independent Thought and Creativity:

   • Support students in developing independent thought and creativity as they question and articulate their perspectives on global matters, promoting a deeper understanding of their role in the world.

7. Progression and Mastery:

   • Ensure a clear progression of knowledge and skills from Early Years through Year 6, allowing students to build upon their prior learning and develop mastery in geographical concepts.

Through these objectives, we aspire to create a geography curriculum that not only educates but also inspires our students to engage thoughtfully with the world around them, preparing them to navigate and contribute positively to an ever-changing environment.

To maintain high standards in geography teaching and learning, we deliver an inclusive, engaging curriculum from Early Years to Year 6, continually building key knowledge, skills, vocabulary, and concepts through varied learning experiences. Below outlines our approach to implementing the geography curriculum effectively:

Curriculum Structure

• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1) 

• Through EYFS and KS1, we pique children’s curiosity about their own worlds around them. We seek to develop a deep understanding of their local area and what it is like to live here. They explore a variety of concepts from place and scale to human and physical processes and settlements to understand the features of Bowdon. This learning is supported through getting out into our locality and practising and applying skills such as observation, mapping and using directional language.

  Once confident with their local area, we open the children’s minds to the ‘wow’ wonders of the United Kingdom and the wider world. For example, Year 1 travels through hot and cold continents and oceans and Year 2 explores our school’s connections to Uganda.

• Lower Key-Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) 

• In Year 3, we revisit and embed the children’s knowledge of the United Kingdom and local area. The progress in foundational knowledge and concepts continues their journey shaping into ‘geographers’, providing them with an essential understanding of geographical human and physical processes (e.g. resources, migration, trade, erosion). which enables them to explore further afield in their later geographical studies.

• Year 4 explores the geography of Europe, including an in-depth comparison study and an explosive look at earthquakes and volcanology. Enquiry questions such as ‘Is Iceland a land of fire or ice?’ foster curiosity, critical thinking, debate and reflection. 

  In LKS2, the children’s increasing confidence in geographical processes enables deeper engagement with their history topics. They can articulate the causes of success and change within the Ancient Civilisations of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.  Skills involving observation, mapping and fieldwork continue to be applied throughout Lower Key Stage 2, ensuring the children develop a love for ‘doing’ geography and being outdoors.

• Upper Key-Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6)

• The curriculum in Years 5 and 6 seeks to complete their geographical journey and our vision for them to be able to land in unfamiliar places and make sense of how it came to be. Their confidence in mapping (atlases, OS and digital) continues to grow and they utilise skills of measuring, observing and debating to engage with topics covering a variety of scales. Our children gain an understanding of Manchester’s development along the River Mersey as well as exploring the physical and human geographies of North and South America. We are keen for our children to leave us rich in cultural capital, and the Year 6 topic on Sustainability and Climate Change supports this. They leave us as adept geologists, glaciologists, volcanologists and environmentalists!

Curriculum Design and Resources

• Inquiry-based Learning

• Most of our geography topics are framed around enquiry questions which are designed to provoke curiosity and encourage investigation. For example: “Is the UK the same all over?” (Y2), ‘Is Iceland a land of fire or ice?’ (Y4) “Is North America just the USA?” (Y5) and “How sustainable are we?” (Y6).

  These questions are designed to stimulate independent thought, debate, and reflection, thus fostering a deeper engagement with the subject matter.

• Visual and multi-sensory aids

• Geography is a ‘doing’ subject. It requires practical engagement and questioning ‘why?’ to fully understand how landscapes and settlements have come to be as they are. We offer the children opportunities for fieldwork, mapwork, modelling work and debate in order to provide inclusive and memorable experiences to all children.

  Maps are prominent throughout school and in the playground. Each classroom displays maps and vocabulary as constant visual aids. 

• Mapping and digital resources

• Mapping skills are woven throughout the curriculum. All children engage with atlases and Google Maps during their geographical journeys and KS2 children become increasingly skilled in using OS maps and Digimaps. 

   

Fieldwork and Skills

• Integration

• Each year group integrates fieldwork into their topics to ensure children progress their skills in observation, sketching and annotating, measuring and evaluating. They are excited to analyse real-world phenomena for themselves! For example, Year 2 assess the wonders of their local area, Year 3 observes and evaluates features of the River Bollin, Year 4 measures and evaluates contours and Year 6 calculates their carbon footprints. 

• Fieldwork Festival

• In June, all children from EYFS to Year 6 partake in the Geographical Association’s Fieldwork Festival. They use the enquiry cycle to investigate a question, planning and carrying out their fieldwork to find an answer. 

• Mapathon

• An annual Mapathon event encourages pupils to map their favourite walk or activity during one of our holidays. Children can present their maps in any format, including advancing their digital literacy skills with Digimaps. We have had over 100 entries!

Cross-curricular Links

• Interdisciplinary links

• Geography is intentionally linked with subjects such as history, science, reading and writing. This approach enhances students’ understanding of geographical concepts while allowing them to apply their knowledge across different disciplines. It also presents opportunities for recall to ensure skills, concepts and knowledge is embedded. 

• Topical Talk

• Each week, children practise their oracy skills by engaging in a discussion about a topical image from the week. Geographical concepts such as migration, resources, settlement and climate are often highlighted. This truly highlights the importance of geography in explaining our world and enriches their cultural capital. 

Through this comprehensive approach to geography education, we aim to cultivate well-informed citizens who understand their place in both local and global contexts, equipped with the skills and knowledge to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Assessing the impact of our geography curriculum involves gathering insights from various sources, including child voice, teacher observations, and end-point assessments. Below is an outline of our impact assessment strategies to evaluate how well children are engaging with geography, retaining content and understanding its relevance to their lives.

Pupil Feedback and Engagement

1. Speaking to Children:

   • Regular discussions with children about their geography lessons provide valuable insights into their opinions and experiences. We aim to understand whether they find the lessons enjoyable and engaging.
   • We encourage children to express their thoughts about the content, which helps us gauge their enthusiasm and engagement levels.

2. Curiosity and Questioning:

   • We observe whether children are asking questions related to the content taught and beyond. Their curiosity is an indicator of their interest in the subject and their desire to learn more about the world around them.
   • Encouraging inquiry-based learning prompts students to engage critically with the material, fostering a deeper understanding of geographical concepts.

Collaborative Insights

3. Conversations with Colleagues:

   • Regular discussions with teaching staff allow us to share observations and experiences regarding student engagement and learning outcomes in geography.
   • These conversations help identify best practices and areas for improvement in our teaching methods.

4. Looking at Books:

   • We conduct reviews of children books to evaluate the consistency and depth of content covered. This includes assessing the quality of work, evidence of skill development, and the application of geographical concepts.
   • Insight tracking tools will be used to monitor progress and areas of difficulty over time.

Performance Assessments

5. Child and Teacher Feedback:

   • Collecting feedback from both children and teachers provides a comprehensive view of the learning experience. Surveys or informal discussions can be employed to gather insights on what is working well and what may need adjustment.

6. Pre- and Post-Assessments:

   • We use varied forms of pre-assessment and post-assessment against end-points to measure knowledge retention and understanding of key geographical concepts. This will help us determine the effectiveness of our teaching and identify areas for improvement.

7. Checks on Key National Curriculum Objectives:

   • Regular checks against the National Curriculum objectives each year allow us to see if students are retaining essential knowledge and skills as they progress through the geography curriculum.

Long-Term Outcomes

8. Understanding of Place and Diversity:

   • As children develop their understanding of their place in the world and appreciate its diversity, we aim for them to take forward a sense of responsibility, respect, and stewardship.
   • Encouraging them to engage critically with global issues will help cultivate informed, environmentally conscious citizens who are aware of their impact on the world.

9. Curricular Integration:

   • By presenting geography as a discipline that interconnects with other subjects, we aim to foster a holistic view of how geography shapes our understanding of various phenomena.
   • Students will learn to recognise geographical concepts in everyday life, empowering them to explain why things are the way they are and speculate on future developments.