Geography at Sutton Bonington

Curriculum Intent

Our vision and intent is to deliver a high-quality curriculum, equipping children with key skills in Geography and to inspire a curiosity about the world and its people. We wish developing children’s knowledge of the world and their place in it, encouraging them to undertake new experiences throughout life. Use of fieldwork and educational visits, alongside experiences in the classroom, will provide children with experiences and create opportunities to investigate and build geographical expertise from their local area to the wider world. This includes locational knowledge, understanding of human and physical features and geographical and fieldwork techniques. We will encourage children to develop an awareness of the environmental challenges in our local area and the wider world. An increasing awareness of the impact that humans have, aims to encourage pupils to become reflective and responsible members of society, who are invested in protecting the planet.

Curriculum Implementation

The geography projects are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s geographical knowledge, skills and subject disciplines. Geographical locations are not specified in the national curriculum, so they have been chosen to provide a broad and diverse understanding of the world. Where there are opportunities for making meaningful connections with other projects, geography projects are sequenced accordingly. For example, children revisit the geography of settlements in the history project School Days after studying types of settlements in the geography project Bright Lights, Big City. All geography projects are taught in the autumn and spring terms, with opportunities for schools to revisit less secure concepts in the summer term.

In Key Stage 1, each autumn term begins with essential skills and knowledge projects (Our Wonderful World in Year 1 and Let’s Explore the World in Year 2). Teaching these projects in Years 1 and 2 enables children to be introduced to, or revisit, critical geographical concepts, aspects, skills and knowledge. These projects prepare children for the study of more thematic geography projects in the following term. In the spring term of Year 1, children study the project Bright Lights, Big City. This project introduces children to the geography of urban environments and the physical and human features of the United Kingdom. In contrast, in the spring term of Year 2, children carry out a detailed study of coastal geography in the project Coastline. This project introduces children to the geography of coastal environments and provides children with the opportunity for in-depth coastal fieldwork.

In Lower Key Stage 2, children begin with essential skills and knowledge projects (One Planet, Our World in Year 3 and Interconnected World in Year 4). Teaching these projects in Years 3 and 4 enables children to further develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of key geographical aspects and concepts and prepares them to study more thematic geography projects in the following term. In the spring term of Year 3, children study the project Rocks, Relics and Rumbles, which explores physical features and geographical phenomena, including earthquakes and volcanoes. In contrast, in the spring term of Year 4, children carry out a detailed study of the physical features of mountains and rivers, which includes opportunities for in-depth fieldwork. In Upper Key Stage 2, children again begin with essential skills and knowledge projects (Investigating Our World in Year 5 and Our Changing World in Year 6). Teaching these projects in Years 5 and 6 enables children to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of key geographical aspects and concepts and prepares them to study more thematic geography projects in the following term. In the spring term of Year 5, children study the seasonal project Sow, Grow and Farm, which explores farming, agriculture and rural land use. In the spring term of Year 6, children study the polar regions in the project Frozen Kingdoms. The project includes an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of these regions, including environmental issues.

Curriculum Impact

By the time they leave our school, our children will have developed the geographical knowledge and skills to help them explore, navigate and understand the world around them and their place in it. Children’s knowledge and skills will develop progressively as they move through the school, not only to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them to become competent geographers in secondary education.