Geography
Subject Vision
Our curriculum is designed to inspire within pupils a fascination and curiosity about the world in which we live. We want to open our students’ eyes to a wide range of diverse places, peoples, cultures and natural environments.
Aims
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes.
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time.
- Be competent in the geographical skills needed to: collect, analyse and communicate a range of data to deepen their understanding of geographical processes.
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (CIS).
- Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
Intent
At Bournville All-Through School, our Geography curriculum is built around a strong sense of place. We want pupils to understand that the places they live in, visit and learn about, shape their lives in countless ways. This belief sits at the heart of our teaching. By grounding learning in real world examples, we help pupils make sense of complex geographical ideas and see how abstract concepts connect to the world they experience every day.
Maps play a central role in our curriculum. Without them, place becomes an abstract idea, so we ensure that map skills are woven through every stage of learning. This not only strengthens pupils’ spatial awareness but also highlights the unique disciplinary nature of Geography as a subject that helps us interpret and navigate the world.
The curriculum has been built using the following components:
Locational Knowledge
Place Knowledge
Human & Physical Processes
Geographical Skills
Disciplinary Knowledge
Our curriculum is carefully structured to support progression. In the primary phase we use the CUSP Geography curriculum which is fully aligned to the National Curriculum.
At Key Stage 3, pupils follow a broad and ambitious programme that reflects the National Curriculum while building knowledge systematically from Year 7 to Year 9. Concepts are revisited and deepened so that pupils develop secure understanding and confidence.
At Key Stage 4, we follow a two-year programme that allows students to embed key skills and explore content in a variety of ways. They learn to describe processes, explain landform formation, annotate diagrams and photographs, and apply their knowledge across different assessment styles.
Throughout all year groups, we emphasise the relevance of Geography to the wider world. Pupils explore issues such as climate change, natural hazards, global development and the ways societies respond to environmental challenges. These themes encourage pupils to consider moral and ethical questions, contribute meaningfully to SMSC development and broaden their cultural understanding. Our school context also shapes our curriculum. Many of our pupils benefit from opportunities to build powerful knowledge and cultural capital, so we ensure that the subject helps them make sense of the systems and processes that influence their lives today.
Above all, our aim is to nurture curiosity about the world. We want pupils to develop a lifelong interest in Geography.
Learning Journey
Click on the link below to take a look at our Bournville – All-Through School Geography Learning Journey.