KS3 & KS4 Geography

Aims and purpose

What are the aims and purpose of our curriculum?

Our curriculum aims to develop pupils’ understanding and curiosity of the world and their place in it. Through carefully structured learning of geographical processes, places, and investigative techniques, pupils will analyse geographical patterns and address the social and environmental challenges the world faces.

Oak curriculum principles

What overarching curriculum principles inform the design of our curriculum?

Knowledge and vocabulary rich

This principle recognises the important role that knowledge, and vocabulary as a particularly important type of knowledge, plays in learning. We secure pupils’ knowledge of geographical processes, ensuring that this can be applied when learning about places and geographical issues. Pupils' locational and place knowledge is developed through a range of place-based and thematic topics, helping them understand the spatial patterns that underpin contemporary society. We map vocabulary across the curriculum, introducing new terms and repeating previously learnt vocabulary. This approach allows pupils to confidently apply geographical terms across different topics. Geographical investigation skills apply knowledge taught in the curriculum to develop pupils' expertise in fieldwork and in analysing spatial patterns using Geographical Information Systems.

Sequenced and coherent

A careful and purposeful sequencing of our curriculum content underpins the design of our curriculum, ensuring that pupils are able to build on and make links with existing knowledge. At its simplest this means ensuring, for example, that pupils learn about the evidence and science behind climate change before pupils learn about the impact of climate change in subsequent topics throughout the curriculum. Attention is paid to vertical coherence via threads, which map the developments of concepts over time, for example, in our thread about human processes, pupils are taught through the framing of their local area in year 1 through to learning about economic futures in the UK at GCSE.

Evidence-informed

Our evidence-informed approach enables the rigorous application of research outcomes, science of learning and impactful best practice both in education in general and at a subject specific level. For example, the design of our resources reflects findings from Sweller’s cognitive load theory and Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning whilst our design draws on Rosenshine’s principles of instruction. We also draw on findings from research organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). At the subject level we draw on the work of the Geographical Association alongside experts such as Young, Maude, Lambert, and Enser to develop lessons that offer pupils new ways of thinking about the world, provide them with the specialist knowledge to analyse and explain geographical patterns, and engage in contemporary debates. Additionally, we take into account Owens’ and Roberts' research, encouraging pupils to reflect on their own experiences and geographical knowledge and to situate this within a broader disciplinary context. The significance of fieldwork, as emphasised by researchers like Kinder and Tanner, has shaped the integration of fieldwork throughout the curriculum.

Flexible

Our flexible approach enables schools to use our resources in a way that fits their contents and meets the varying needs of teachers and their pupils. Our curriculum can be used in its entirety or units can be selected to complement existing curricula or to match the equipment and materials available to the school. Our curriculum often provides different options so that schools and teachers can decide what knowledge is best for their pupils, for example when teaching about local contrasts, units on both Jamaica and Tanzania are available to choose from. Our resources are adaptable so that, for example, teachers can edit or add checks for understanding, adapt practice tasks to better reflect the prior knowledge of their pupils or add local context to fieldwork and case studies. At key stage 4 teachers and pupils can select a pathway aligned to the most frequently used exam board specifications for GCSE Geography: AQA or Edexcel B.

Diverse

Our commitment to breadth and diversity in content, language, texts, and media can be seen throughout the curriculum, for example in the group of diverse school age characters that feature in our resources and in the choice of case study examples and regional studies. Our regional studies look at all parts of the world, focusing on places in Europe and the Americas at key stage 1 and key stage 2, and Africa, Asia, and Oceania at key stage 3 and key stage 4. This provides pupils with a deep knowledge of different places and helps to celebrate the rich diversity of experiences and perspectives that exist in places around the world.

Accessible

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to facilitate high-quality teaching as a powerful lever to support pupils with SEND. Aligned with EEF guidance, our resources have a focus on clear explanations, modelling and frequent checks for understanding, with guided and independent practice. For example, video clips using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide a model for pupils to apply to their own work. Lessons are chunked into learning cycles and redundant images and information are minimised to manage cognitive load. We have removed reference to year groups in our resources so that they can be used when pupils are ready, regardless of their age. Our resources are purposefully created to be accessible, for example by using accessible fonts, colours with good contrast, and captions in our videos.

Oak subject principles

What subject specific principles inform the design of our curriculum?

Focuses on the knowledge and skills specific to geography, including:

• World knowledge (encompassing locational, place, environmental, physical and human processes) developed through thematic and place-based studies at a range of scales;

• How geographical knowledge originates and is revised.

The curriculum develops pupils’ geographical knowledge through thematic units, such as those focusing on population and rivers, and place-based studies (also known as regional studies), such as those focusing on Northern Italy and India. Thematic units allow geographical processes to be carefully broken down and explained in manageable chunks whilst place-based units allow pupils’ to develop a deep knowledge of places and understand the diversity that exists within and between them. Where geographical models are introduced, such as those related to development, pupils are asked to consider their validity in the modern world.

Develops pupils’ knowledge and application of geographical investigation skills, including:

• Using maps, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), spatial statistics, aerial and satellite imagery;

• Using the fieldwork enquiry process and associated data collection, presentation and analysis techniques.

Pupils’ knowledge and application of geographical investigation skills such as the use of maps and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are integrated across the curriculum so that pupils can use them to investigate spatial patterns. The use of maps and GIS are modelled so that pupils gain the confidence to apply these tools independently in new contexts. Fieldwork begins in year 1 and is developed, so by year 11, pupils fully understand the enquiry process and possess strong skills in data collection, presentation, and analysis.

Develops understanding of contemporary geographical debates and real world challenges through organising, connecting and applying what they have been taught.

Examples and case studies are used throughout the curriculum so that pupils can see geographical processes in action in the real world. For example, pupils use their knowledge of rivers, settlement and the water cycle to consider when and where flood protection can be justified. Place-based studies require pupils to connect and then apply knowledge from a range of units, demonstrating to them the complexity of issues and places.

National curriculum

How does our curriculum reflect the aims & purpose of the national curriculum?

There are three broad aims of the geography national curriculum. The first is that pupils ‘develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places’. Our curriculum includes a range of carefully chosen regional studies to develop pupils’ knowledge of the physical and human features of places around the world, how they are connected to other places and how they are shaped by geographical processes. The second aim is that pupils ‘understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world’. Our learning framework breaks down information so that pupils gain a strong understanding of geographical processes and can apply them in different locational contexts. The final aim is to ensure pupils ‘are competent in a range of geographical skills’. A range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are integrated throughout the curriculum and pupils are explicitly taught how to use these sources to analyse spatial variation and change over time. Fieldwork and its associated enquiry process is built into units across the curriculum, from year 1 to year 11, so that pupils understand how to create a geographical enquiry that deepens their understanding of people and places.

Curriculum delivery

What teaching time does our curriculum require?

Our curricula for key stages 1-3 are designed for 36 weeks of curriculum time across the school year, which leaves time for other activities both within and beyond the curriculum, such as assessments or school trips. At key stage 4, year 10 also has 36 weeks of curriculum time, but year 11 has only 24 weeks (approximately 2 terms) to recognise that schools will not be teaching new content in the run-up to the GCSE exams.

At key stages 1-2 our primary geography curriculum is designed for one lesson to be taught every week. Our key stage 1 lessons are designed to be taught in approximately 40 minutes, whereas our key stage 2 lessons are closer to an hour. At secondary, our key stage 3 geography curriculum is designed for two lessons to be taught every week, with lessons lasting approximately an hour. Our key stage 4 geography curriculum is designed for five lessons to be taught every fortnight, so approximately 2.5hrs of teaching per week.

Curriculum coherence

What are 'threads'?

We use threads to signpost groups of units that link to one another, that together build a common body of knowledge over time. We use the term thread, rather than concepts, themes or big ideas, because it helps to bring to mind the visual concept of a thread weaving through the curriculum. Our geography threads are:

Primary

• Local area
• The UK and regions
• Europe and regions
• Americas and regions
• Climate and weather
• Water and rivers
• Mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes
• Land use and settlement
• Economic activity
• Natural resources
• Earth geometry
• Human processes
• Physical processes
• Diversity
• Sustainability
• Interconnection

Secondary

• Sustainability and climate change
• Risk and resilience
• Inequality
• Globalisation and interconnection
• Human systems and processes
• Representation and identity
• Physical systems and processes

The primary threads are a combination of specialised concepts such as ‘sustainability’ and ‘interconnection’, which link to the secondary threads and contextual threads, such as ‘natural resources’ and ‘local area’, which show how the content of different units can be grouped together.

The secondary threads are concepts that link units across the curriculum developing pupils’ knowledge and skills in geography over time. The ‘inequality’ thread, for example, helps pupils understand patterns of development, population, settlement and trade as well as helping pupils understand a range of regional studies. Our threads are informed by the broader, more abstract key concepts of environment, space, place and earth systems, as outlined in the Geographical Association’s ‘A framework for the school geography curriculum’.

Recommendations from subject specific reports

How does our curriculum address and enact recommendations from subject specific reports (e.g. EEF guidance reports & Ofsted Research Review)?

Our geography curriculum addresses a number of concerns identified in the recent Ofsted subject report. Topics are carefully planned to ensure progression as pupils move through the curriculum. Knowledge from previous units is used and built on in subsequent units to help pupils develop a broad understanding of places and processes, for example the knowledge of climate zones developed in our year 7 Weather and Climate unit will be used by pupils in later units when learning about biomes around the world. Threads, underpinned by more abstract broader concepts, are used to help pupils make links between topics and deepen their understanding of geographical issues.

Fieldwork is integrated into the curriculum, from year 1 to year 11, allowing each school to make use of their school grounds and local area. Pupils will use the fieldwork enquiry process to plan and carry out fieldwork so that they are confident in investigating places and processes independently. Regional studies are planned in each key stage to give pupils deep knowledge and understanding of different places and avoid reinforcing ‘single story’ narratives. Places are purposely used as case studies in different topics so that pupils don’t associate places with solely one geographical phenomenon. For example, in key stage 4 pupils will complete regional studies on both Jakarta and more broadly of Indonesia whilst using case studies from the region when learning about topics associated with natural hazards and global trade.

The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is integrated across the curriculum so that pupils can use different GIS to visualise and analyse spatial patterns as well as using GIS to add and process fieldwork data.

Subject-specific needs

How does our curriculum deal with elements that arise from the specific needs of the subject?

What geographical locations are featured in the curriculum?

The locations of our regional studies are chosen with diversity and global coverage in mind. In our primary curriculum, there is a focus on Europe plus North and South America. Our key stage 3 curriculum predominantly focuses on regional studies in Asia and Africa. Learning about Indonesia and Jakarta at key stage 4 gives pupils the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of a region of south-east Asia/Oceania, which is growing in international importance.

Across the curriculum our regional studies are:

Primary

• UK
• London
• Cardiff
• Jamaica
• Tanzania
• the Lake District
• Europe
• Northern Italy
• North America
• South America
• the Amazon

Secondary

• India
• China
• the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Nigeria
• the Middle East
• Russia
• Jakarta
• Indonesia

More specific case studies and examples are woven into units across the curriculum. Where appropriate we use examples of geographical processes from our regional studies to deepen pupils’ knowledge of these places. For example, in our forest biome unit in year 7 pupils will learn about mangroves in India and boreal forests in Russia, which will help their understanding in preparation for the regional studies of these places later in the course.

How is fieldwork used in the curriculum?

Fieldwork is integrated into units across the curriculum so that pupils have the opportunity to investigate geographical processes in a range of different contexts. Pupils will learn how the fieldwork enquiry process is used to guide an investigation from the early stages of developing questions through to the final evaluation. Pupils learn about a wide range of data collection, presentation and analysis techniques, including how Geographical Information Systems can be used at each of these stages. Fieldwork lessons are easily adapted to address the local context of schools, whilst retaining the fieldwork enquiry process.