Expectations

This Charter helps to implement the intent of the geography curriculum every lesson by every Teacher. 

Geography Secondary Curriculum Intent 

A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse 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 should 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 

The aims of the Geography Secondary Curriculum are to ensure that all pupils: 

• develop key contextual knowledge of geographically significant places, which includes the defining of human and physical characteristics and how these help shape understanding of key processes  
• recognise the processes that generate key physical and human features across our world, how they bring special variation over time 
• become skilled in collecting and interpreting key geographical data through exposure to outdoor learning, including fieldwork, that will help to foster a deeper understanding of geographical features and processes 
• are able to interpret a wide range of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) 
• are able to communicate geographical information through quantitative and qualitative means  

Implementing the intent through the Charter: 

• Ensure all lessons begin with a Do It Now Activity that encourages short, medium and long-term recall, so that key links can be made between the intertwining aspects of the subject. 
• Ensure that learning objectives are clear and concise, as well as making links to the ‘Big Picture’ and real-life geographical applications. 
• Model key geographical concepts to secure understanding via ‘I Do, We Do, You Do” activities  
• Use key geographical language at all times to enable pupils to articulate geographical concepts with accuracy in both the spoken and written word. 
• Model and explicitly teach the relevant numerical and statistical requirements to enhance their geographical understanding and enquiry.  
• Use a range of effective questioning strategies, such as Cold Calling and Wait Time, to draw out deeper understanding of key concepts. 
• Build in regular opportunities to check for understanding during the lesson, so that misconceptions can be identified and addressed quickly at the point of origin. 
• Check that new learning is being retained to the working memory at the end of every lesson and start of the next. 
• Ensure pupils to take pride in their work and provide clear evidence in their books of development and understanding of geographical knowledge and skills. Ensure they are used as an aide-memoire for recall and revision. 
• Provide opportunities for subject-specific enrichment both inside and outside of school, ensuring that opportunities are embedded across all Key Stages for outdoor learning to support opportunities to put theory into practice and to foster a love of learning. 
• Linking key concepts covered to real life examples on a range of different scales, including local, national, international and global places.