Geography
The Archway Learning Trust Geography curriculum recognises that a coherent understanding of geography enables young people to engage with and reflect upon the rapidly changing world around them. Our curriculum offers students the chance to explore their surroundings and develop their decision-making skills whilst feeling a sense of wonder about the natural environment. As students’ progress on their geographical journey, their appreciation of the importance of their role in current geographical issues will develop allowing them to become more conscience of their own social responsibility. The curriculum aims to give students the opportunity to develop their geographical curiosity about a variety of issues through investigation, both inside and outside the classroom with a number of fieldwork opportunities available. Students will develop an awareness of a variety of spaces and places at a range of different scales, they will assess the challenges and interactions taking place in both physical environments and human environments, whilst recognising the importance of adapting to these and recognising sustainability. Students should leave Archway with an ability to recognise the interdependent nature of geography and understand that no geographical concepts can be applied in isolation.
Geography is a catalyst for developing enquiring minds to explore questions about the world they live in. Lees Brook students will, through their studies, become global citizens by developing a strong knowledge and understanding of processes and systems within human and physical environments. Geography develops student’s ability to think critically and strategically about local and global issues on a variety of different scales and explores the potential future solutions to these issues, preparing them for the changing requirements of the world of work.
We seek to use children’s inquiring minds to inspire a curiosity about the world and its people, which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The Geography Curriculum is designed to promote major skill areas: the development of map and fieldwork skills; sustainability; decision making; empathy; literacy and numeracy as well as ICT literacy. Lees Brook alumni have geographical skills which are progressive and transferable in a cross-curricular environment and in 21st century careers.
Through lessons, fieldwork, trips and extra-curricular activities, we aim to take geography outside of the classroom, extending the learning of students, further encouraging them to become global citizens and engage with their community on local and global issues.
Curriculum structure
During the three year KS3 curriculum, students will build their knowledge of physical and human processes in different locations around the world. This is completed through units of work lasting approximately 10 weeks in length (with additional ‘buffer’ time to allow for misconceptions to be addressed and additional engagement to occur with specific groups).
Topics have been carefully structured to balance human and physical elements of the course, provide spaced retrieval opportunities as pupils build and connect knowledge of place, space and process through the course and into their GCSE. The spiral curriculum gives pupils a firm understanding of the basic key vocabulary required to be a successful geographer and is based on the engagement and interests of pupils as they explore the wider world they live in.
Lessons are planned to challenge pupils to think geographically. One of the key changes to the new curriculum is the writing of lesson titles and medium term plans as synoptic and then specific questions – encouraging pupils to further inquire about the answers to key geographical questions and to inspire pupils to ask further questions surrounding the content of their lesson.
The approach at KS4 further develops the successful patterns of the KS3 curriculum. Pupils continue to further embed the knowledge of both physical and human processes in a pattern of spaced learning, while following the Eduqas B Geography course. The curriculum breaks down ‘Topics’ from the specification to maximise the engagement from students, improve the spaced retrieval opportunities from KS3 and these are implemented in lessons in a sequence with reflects the retrieval of previously learnt topics and the new teaching depth required for GCSE.
