Subject vision:

“Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic and relevant. Geography is a great adventure with a purpose.” – Michael Palin
At Lapford Community Primary School, our geography curriculum is designed to develop a rich and deep subject knowledge building on pupils’ natural sense of wonder about the world and its people. Our curriculum is progressive and coherent, building on prior knowledge and skills at every stage. Pupils begin their geography education learning about their own school, village and local area. This instils in them a sense of who they are and what makes their own area and heritage unique, before learning gradually builds outwards as children investigate a range of contrasting places in Britain and across the globe to develop an understanding of the Earth’s physical and human processes. We aim to counteract rural disadvantage by providing a range of cultural experiences that bring the wider world to their doorstep and develop their knowledge as global citizens.
We believe that children need first hand experiences to support the development of key geographical skills such as enquiry skills, observational and investigative skills, map reading skills, analysis of data and a sense of place. Our geography curriculum includes many opportunities for children to experience geography through the soles of their own feet, as they explore their local area and learn how the environment impacts on their lives, and how their lives impact on the environment. We ensure that trips and visiting experts bring this learning to life for pupils.
We expect our children to be able to discuss their learning and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through a range of activities. We encourage them to be confident to express their own opinions on a range of real world topics that affect their lives. We want our children to leave school with a toolbox of knowledge and skills to equip them as the environmental ambassadors of the future and we aim to instil in them a sense of respect for the world around them.

Intent:
Our aim is to instil a natural sense of wonder about the world and its people that children retain throughout their lives.  We use ‘golden threads’  throughout learning as we teach our children about diverse places, people and resources through an investigative approach. We want our children to ‘do’ Geography by experiencing the subject through the soles of their own feet. To think like geographers, they must see fieldwork as a key vehicle for understanding place, diversity and human and physical features. Through the study of natural and human environments, as well as physical and human processes, we stimulate our children’s skills as geographers through a broad and rich curriculum which utilises the locations of our schools by developing and increasing children’s understanding of where they live and using this as a basis of comparison to the wider world. This makes learning relevant and engaging for our children. Through clear progression in our Geography curriculum throughout the school, we aim to build upon children’s knowledge and geographical skills each year, making clear links to their prior knowledge and enabling them to gradually delve deeper into the common geographical threads which run through their learning. 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. We aim to produce well- rounded individuals by providing our children with opportunities to expand their cultural capital and experiences of the world. We aim to do this with a combination of our knowledge rich curriculum, and with regular local trips, visiting speakers and experiences.
At LPS, we have chosen a knowledge-rich curriculum.  This means following a skills-progression curriculum model with knowledge underpinning the application of skills. The 2002 Education Act requires schools to provide a ‘balanced and broadly based curriculum’ which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of children at our schools and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. We intend to deliver the 2014 National Curriculum in a purposeful, engaging and creative way by providing a broad curriculum that ensures all children are exposed  to a range of subjects in school. We also offer a balanced curriculum that ensures that each subject is given sufficient space on the timetable to deliver its distinct contribution.  The school curriculum is broader than the National Curriculum and our intention is to give children a richer and deeper experience that is not limited by the National Curriculum.

Implementation:
We use carefully planned geography units to ensure knowledge- rich coverage of the NC programmes of study. Study is underpinned by the ‘golden threads’ of learning:  Settlement, Climate, Everyone’s world, Maps and Change.

Each unit contains a memorable experience to ensure children are engaged, and learning is enriched by class trips, visiting speakers and planned enquiries.  Pupils’ geographical education begins in the early years, where children receive a wide range of purposeful practical experiences as well as immersion in high quality texts to build their knowledge of place, change and physical and human features of their environments. This knowledge of their immediate environment builds and expands year on year, developing pupils’ expertise. The organisation of the curriculum builds knowledge so that pupils can draw on it in future learning, with regular quizzes and discussions ensuring good retention of previously taught knowledge.  The content pupils learn is linked to the five Golden Threads and takes into account how pupils build their geographical knowledge over time. 
A world map or globe will be used in every class to build connections with other curriculum subjects, ensuring that a sense of place is inherent across the curriculum. Schools will maximise opportunities to use their own grounds and rural settings to enrich learning; real engagement with geography must begin with a relevant context. Therefore, teachers will ensure that the content of each unit they teach reflects the local context of their own schools wherever possible. Our local geography links are an essential part of our curriculum and give our pupils the understanding and the vocabulary to describe the world in which they live. Children will take part, yearly, in a purposeful geographical enquiry that involves raising questions, planning, collecting data, analysing data and presenting findings using the skills of literacy and oracy. 
Geography is taught in half termly blocks which alternate with History throughout the academic year. In topics where Geography is not the driving subject, geographical skills and knowledge will be regularly revisited by interleaving within the focus area. Through geographic enquiry and the application of geography skills, our pupils are given opportunities to develop an awareness of their immediate surroundings, other places and how people have used their environment. 
 

Impact:
Developing young geographers requires geographical expertise, which must include substantive geographical knowledge alongside the gradual development of geographical skills. Drawing from the breadth of concepts within the five ‘Golden Threads’ gives pupils the knowledge they need to appreciate the whole domain of geography. They understand through these concepts how they can bring together all aspects of Geography and clearly see the links between different areas of knowledge.
The impact of this will be seen when children discuss their interest in Geography, and their attitude towards their geographical learning. They will have the confidence to engage, discuss, reason, question and debate, demonstrating their ability to apply generalisations and make links to understand the world around them. Evidence of learning will be seen in their books, in classroom displays or class big books, and will be heard in discussions. Teachers will use formative assessment methods to identify children’s understanding.  The children will be given opportunities to present their learning in a variety of ways – such as presentations, role play, and assemblies. By Year 6 substantive knowledge will be in place in order for children to meet with the full aims of the National Curriculum.