Our Geography Curriculum is one filled with exploration, discovery and friendships, where we develop an armoury of skills for every environment. Join us as we venture outwards from our heart in Harraby, through our neighbouring counties, to seek adventure in our wide and ever-changing world. Europe, America, Australia, earthquakes, volcanoes and rivers, where will your adventure take you?

Geography Intent

In Geography at Pennine Way Primary School, our intent is to equip children with the skills and knowledge about human and physical Geography, as well as provide them with field work and practical opportunities to practice the skills in a real context. We intend to develop long term memory and retention of information and this will provide children with lifelong knowledge and experience about the world around them, enabling them to combat issues surrounding Geography such as climate change. 

Geography Implementation

To implement our vision for Geography, we have mapped out all year group objectives and skills that need to be covered. These have then been grouped into studies; each year group will complete three studies per year. The studies will build on prior knowledge and skills learnt previously, embedding the Geography knowledge and improving long term memory. 

Each study will begin with a knowledge organiser, providing the children with an overview of information about that study, which they can continuously refer to. Further to this, each lesson/objective will have a knowledge note which will give the children in depth information about the focus of that objective, extending their knowledge base.

In EYFS, children will explore their world using the outside area and access Geography related objectives and skills within the provision. EYFS will focus on finding out about their local area.

We want to provide children with a variety of experiences, and this will be through yearly field work based trips. Where possible, we want to draw on local knowledge and use the local area (i.e. The Lake District) as a focus point. Staff and children will have opportunities to use resources that are relevant to their current study; these resources will be continuously reviewed and updated where necessary.

In order to address community and climate issues, we have implemented an Eco Club. Within this club the children will have the opportunity to impact their community and make a difference, giving children ownership of their lives. These ideas and activities will be shared through assemblies, displays and work around the school.

Geography Curriculum Map

Our Curriculum Map for Geography, directs the route and progression of our learning, which takes place from Early Years to Upper Key Stage 2. The Curriculum map signposts us and encourages pupils to explore far and wide, whilst always beginning with the local area, so that when we return from our adventures, we can make and create memories linked to our own experiences.

During the Early Years, the Geography Curriculum is focused on pupils taking their first steps to explore their school and to investigate where they live and their immediate local area.

 During Key Stage One, pupils learn what makes Harraby and their local area the great place that it is. They are then challenged with gaining knowledge and understanding about all the other parts of the United Kingdom and the oceans and continents of the World. Key Stage One pupils will also be, during the summer term, involved in a comparison study. In Year 1, the focus is comparing and contrasting Harraby to Alice Springs in Australia, and in Year 2 comparing and contrasting tourism in Silloth to that in Cancun, Mexico. 

In Key Stage 2, the Autumn studies focus on counties in England and Scotland. Again we begin locally with Carlisle and Cumbria before stretching out to Edinburgh and The Lothians, Manchester and Greater Manchester finally ending in York and Yorkshire. The spring study has us visiting some of our European neighbours beginning with Paris and France, before moving further afield through Rome and Italy, Athens and Greece and finally arriving in Moscow and Russia.  The summer term for each Key Stage 2 year group develops our understanding of key aspects of physical geography such as volcanoes, mountains, rivers and biomes

Geography Skills and Critical Content

Our Curriculum skills for Geography show the progression of skills within each year group and strand of Geography. 

Geographical skills and fieldwork are integral to every aspect of Geography. Where relevant, we will further develop these skills through visits and visitors and practical, outdoor activities, e.g. orienteering. Critical content for our recovery curriculum in Geography has been evaluated and our priority is on based around lost content and critical content needed for progression and links between concepts to be made. Throughout the Early Years and Key Stages 1 and 2, geographical skills and fieldwork, remain at the heart of our Geography work and curriculum for our pupils. Children’s local knowledge within Cumbria and focus counties as well as the physical geography of weather, climate and natural disasters will be key as future learning is reliant upon this. Through developing these skills in comparing their location and climate to others, children should be able to apply these to any location that they explore later in their education.