Intent
At Great Corby School and Nursery, we encourage each individual child to become a successful lifelong learner by igniting their curiosity, developing their love for learning and instilling a desire to achieve.
Our aim is to provide a high-quality geography education through our UNITY Curriculum that inspires in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching will equip pupils with knowledge about divers e places, people, resources, and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world will help 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.
At Great Corby School and Nursey, we follow Development Matters and the National Curriculum. Please see the geography progression document for more information.
Implementation
Spaced Retrieval Practice Approach
At Great Corby School and Nursery, geography is taught across each year group in modules through our UNITY Curriculum that enables pupils to study in depth key geographical understanding, skills and vocabulary. Each module aims to activate and build upon prior learning to ensure better cognition and retention. Each module is carefully sequenced to enable pupils to purposefully layer learning from previous sessions to facilitate the acquisition and retention of key geographical knowledge. Each module is revisited either later in the year or in the following year as part of a spaced retrieval practice method to ensure pupils retain key knowledge and information.
As well as ensuring pupils are taught key knowledge, each module is designed to offer pupils the opportunity to develop their skills as a geographer in asking questions, planning and carrying out fieldwork, collecting and analysing information and drawing conclusions.
Cumulative Quizzing (Supporting Cognitive Load)
At the start of each module, pupils can undertake a short quiz to establish prior knowledge and understanding of the module content. Throughout each module pupils continually revisit previous content to reinforce key knowledge and vocabulary. At the end of the module, pupils can take another quiz to check their understanding and knowledge. This approach allows pupils to utilise effective cognitive load and ensures retention.
Planning
Knowledge Organisers and Knowledge Notes
Accompanying each module is a k now ledge organiser which contains key vocabulary, information and concepts which all pupils are expected to understand and retain. Knowledge notes are designed to help pupils acquire the content of each module. They support vocabulary and concept acquisition through a well-structured sequence that is cumulative. Each knowledge note begins with questions that link back to the cumulative quizzing, focusing on key content to be learnt and understood. Knowledge organisers and knowledge notes are dual coded to provide pupils with visual calls to aid understanding and recall.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary forms a key part of our wider curriculum. Subject specific Tier 2 and Tier 3 words are incorporated in each module and pupils are encouraged to develop their own ‘Vital Vocabulary’ lists along with dual coding to expand their geography vocabulary repertoire.
Writing
Pupils are encouraged to write across all areas of the curriculum and teachers model how to write purposefully in each subject using key structures and vocabulary. Pupils are encouraged to use their geography books as reference books, using previous work, knowledge organisers and knowledge notes.
Impact
The impact of our geography curriculum is measured through the monitoring cycle in school:
- Lesson observations
- Book monitoring
- Learning walks
- Discussions with class teachers
- Discussions with pupils
Monitoring is used to measure the following:
- Children enjoy and are enthusiastic about geography in our school.
- There is a clear progression of children’s work and teachers’ expectations in our school.
- Children’s work shows a range of topics and evidence of the curriculum coverage for all geography topics.
- Feedback from teachers has an impact on our pupils.
- All children are making progress, including EAL, PP and SEND children.
Monitoring is also used to identify gaps in the curriculum that may need to be addressed across the school, or within individual year groups. Monitoring is an ongoing cycle, which is used productively to provide the best possible geo gr ap hy curriculum for our children.
Senior leaders and subject leaders regularly undertake book studies to monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning. This includes sessions with small groups of pupils using questioning to check and ensure information and knowledge is acquired and understood with increasing confidence.
Feedback is given to teaching staff to inform future planning.
After the implementation of our geography curriculum, pupils should leave primary school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and to be able to enjoy and appreciate geography throughout their lives.
Knowledge Organisers and Knowledge Notes
Accompanying each module is a Know ledge Organiser which contains key vocabulary, information, and concepts which all pupils are expected to understand and retain. Knowledge notes are the elaboration and detail to help pupils acquire the content of each module. They support vocabulary and concept acquisition through a well-structured sequence that is cumulative. Each Knowledge Note begins with questions that link back to the cumulative quizzing, focussing on key content to be learnt and understood. Knowledge Organisers and Knowledge Notes are dual coded to provide pupils with visual calls to aid understanding and recall.
Knowledge Organisers and Knowledge notes are referenced throughout each module and copies of the Knowledge Organisers are shared with parents.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary forms a key part of our wider curriculum. Subject specific Tier 2 and Tier 3 words are incorporated in each module and pupils are encouraged to develop their own ‘Vital Vocabulary’ lists along with dual coding to expand their geography vocabulary repertoire.
Writing
Pupils are encouraged to write across all areas of the curriculum and teachers model how to write purposefully in each subject using key structures and vocabulary. Pupils are encouraged to use their UNITY curriculum books as reference books, using previous work, knowledge organisers and knowledge notes.
Geography Impact
Assessing Knowledge and Understanding
Cumulative Quizzing At the start of each module, pupils undertake a short quiz in Years 3 6 or a verbal assessment (Years 1 and 2), to establish prior knowledge and understanding of the module content.
Throughout each module pupils continually revisit previous content and quizzing to reinforce key knowledge and vocabulary.
Ongoing Teacher Assessment
Pupils who are identified as needing support will be supported either during post teaching interventions or in the following session as appropriate. Pupils working at above expected standard will also be identified and challenged appropriately to extend their learning. Evidence of this support or challenge and necessary feedback will be clear in books.
