Curriculum Intent for Geography
At Holy Cross, through our Geography curriculum, we aim to expand geographical vocabulary, increase our children’s knowledge and curiosity of the wider world and promote high aspirations. 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 they continue their journey of Geography, we aim to foster a deep understanding of the subject that develops alongside their geographical skills. Our aim is that our children go on to apply these skills across all subjects, as well as in their futures beyond Holy Cross. Our curriculum is designed to provide our children with the subject-specific language they need to describe, question and discuss the world, as well as their place in it. Our pupils are encouraged to recognise that they have a voice and to use it confidently to debate topics that they feel passionate about, for example, deforestation or renewable energy. We aim to produce well-rounded individuals by providing our children with opportunities to expand their cultural capital and experiences of the world.
Geography Implementation
Based upon the National Curriculum and the individual needs of our children, we have created a Geography Progression Map, which sets out the objectives taught in each year group. Our Geography curriculum identifies the knowledge and skills that pupils are to learn. The knowledge in Geography is organised into 2 forms: Substantive Knowledge and Disciplinary Knowledge.
Substantive knowledge sets out the content that is to be learned. By following the national curriculum, we address this through five interrelated forms:
· Locational knowledge
· Place knowledge
· Human geography
· Physical geography
· Geographical skills and fieldwork
Through a high-quality geography education, we aim to inspire in pupils, a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching equips pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
Our curriculum ensures that pupils’ progress, and their growing knowledge about the world, helps them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
Disciplinary knowledge considers how geographical knowledge originates and is revised. It is through disciplinary knowledge that pupils learn the practices of geographers.
