Geography
INTENT
Our Geography curriculum is designed to foster curiosity and a deep understanding of the world. We aim to develop pupils' geographical skills and knowledge, enabling them to think and act like geographers. Through our curriculum, children will explore a variety of places and environments, both locally and globally, helping them understand the complexities of the Earth’s physical and human processes. We focus on four key concepts:
- Locational Knowledge: Understanding where places are located and why their location is important.
- Place Knowledge: Comparing and contrasting different places, examining their unique characteristics and how they are shaped by both physical and human influences.
- Human and Physical Geography: Investigating how human activities interact with physical environments, including how people adapt to and modify their surroundings.
- Geographical Skills and Fieldwork: Developing skills to collect, analyse, and present geographical data through maps, fieldwork, and digital tools.
Our goal is to build pupils’ knowledge progressively, starting from their immediate surroundings and expan
ding to a broader understanding of the world. We aim to inspire curiosity and empower pupils to explore and protect the environment.
Their locational knowledge is transferrable to other curriculum areas and helps them to gain a deeper understanding. For example, pupils learning about WWII use a range of geographical knowledge to explain why coastal or rural areas were not targets of Axis bombers.
IMPLEMENTATION
We implement a progressive curriculum that integrates the four key strands—locational knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, and geographical skills and fieldwork. Lessons are designed to deepen understanding by revisiting concepts with increasing complexity, ensuring that children build on prior learning. 
- Locational Knowledge is reinforced across all units, ensuring pupils can identify and understand key places on a global and local scale.
- Place Knowledge is developed through comparative studies of different regions, allowing pupils to recognise similarities and differences between various areas of the world.
- Human and Physical Geography are woven throughout the curriculum, with pupils exploring topics like climate, ecosystems, and how humans interact with their environment.
- Geographical Skills and Fieldwork are a core part of every unit to ensure children gain ‘real-life’ experiences. Pupils are given opportunities to apply what they've learned through fieldwork activities, using maps, compasses, and digital tools to collect and interpret data.
In our Geography lessons, we use an enquiry question as the focus for each session, guiding children to explore and answer key geographical concepts. To reinforce prior learning, we incorporate Flashback 4s, a retrieval practice tool that helps pupils recall and reflect on information related to the key question from previous lessons. This ensures that prior knowledge is secured, and it gives teachers the opportunity to address any misconceptions that may have arisen. In Flashback 4s, pupils build on their locational knowledge by revisiting it while consistently reviewing and strengthening their understanding of key geographical vocabulary. This cyclical approach helps deepen pupils’ knowledge and supports their progression through the curriculum.
IMPACT
The impact and measure of this is to ensure that children at Grimoldby Primary School are equipped with geographical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world. We want pupils to have enjoyed learning about geography and therefore be inspired to undertake new life experiences, both now and in the future.
