Geography Curriculum Statement   

Our School Vision:  

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:25)

Bishop Chavasse Church of England School Policies are all underpinned by our school parable ‘The Wise and the Foolish Builder.’

Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. As a church school we believe that, like the wise man, those who are guided by the word of God in the Bible and trust in Him will become wise, compassionate and honest; be empowered to weather all storms, help one another flourish and make a difference in the world.

Bishop Chavasse School knows and values every wonderfully and uniquely created child and adult. Supported by faith, we establish firm foundations for our children to become resilient, curious, confident, community minded courageous advocates who flourish and thrive. We build on and support the development of the whole person in a safe, happy Christian environment. We inspire everyone to fulfil their potential through our high expectations and a broad, creative and inspirational curriculum; rich in opportunity to develop culture capital, have fun and partake in adventures. Everyone will develop an everlasting love of learning. Our dedicated, passionate staff, supported by parents, Governors and the Tenax Schools Trust are committed to nurturing our community to achieve excellence together in an environment where everyone is wise, trustworthy and compassionate. Pupils will make everlasting friendships and exciting life-long memories.

School core values:

• Wisdom
• Compassion
• Honesty

We aim to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice, promoting Christian values through the experience we offer to all of our pupils.

Geography Whole School Overview

Opening Statement

At Bishop Chavasse Primary School, we believe that Geography enables children to understand the world they live in and their place within it. Our ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum, inspired by Opening Worlds by Steve Mastin, develops curious, informed and responsible geographers who are fascinated by the diversity of people, places and environments. From Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 2, pupils explore the physical and human processes that shape our planet, developing an appreciation of local, national and global geography while understanding the interconnectedness of our world.

Intent 

At Bishop Chavasse C of E Primary School we believe that Geography develops a curiosity and fascination with the world and its people which will remain with our children for the rest of their lives, supporting them to become courageous advocates, developing their kindness and empathy and allowing them to make a positive contribution to the world around them. Geography provokes and provides answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world and develops a greater understanding and knowledge of the world and their place in it.   Our Geography curriculum is designed to provide pupils with a secure body of geographical knowledge alongside the disciplinary skills needed to think and work as geographers. Through carefully sequenced learning, pupils develop a deep understanding of place, space, scale and environmental processes, enabling them to make meaningful connections between the physical and human features of the world.  Our Geography Curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and develop cultural capital, allowing them to become confident and successful individuals. 

Children are taught to ask geographical questions, interpret maps, analyse data, evaluate evidence and investigate how people interact with the environments in which they live. Rich geographical vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited, enabling pupils to communicate their understanding with confidence and precision.  Our curriculum encourages pupils to become environmentally aware, culturally informed and globally responsible citizens who understand the opportunities and challenges facing our changing world. We aim to foster a lifelong curiosity about Geography while preparing pupils with the knowledge, vocabulary and analytical skills required for Key Stage 3 and beyond.

Impact

Progress and Attainment

As a result of our curriculum, pupils leave Bishop Chavasse with a secure understanding of the world's physical and human geography and an appreciation of the complex relationships between people, places and environments.

Children confidently use ambitious Tier 2 and Tier 3 geographical vocabulary to describe, explain and evaluate geographical processes and phenomena. They can interpret maps, analyse geographical data, draw conclusions from evidence and apply their understanding to both familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

Assessment demonstrates strong progression in both geographical knowledge and disciplinary skills, supported through regular book reviews and Trust-wide moderation. Synoptic assessment tasks provide meaningful opportunities for pupils to apply learning across units and demonstrate secure long-term retention.  Assessment is embedded through retrieval practice, classroom discussion, low-stakes quizzes and carefully designed synoptic tasks. These enable teachers to monitor understanding, identify misconceptions and adapt teaching to meet the needs of all learners while maintaining the ambition of the curriculum.

Cultural Awareness and Global Citizenship 

Fieldwork enables pupils to apply classroom learning in real-world contexts, developing their enquiry skills, curiosity and confidence as young geographers. Pupils leave primary school with a strong understanding of sustainability, environmental responsibility and global citizenship, equipping them to make informed decisions about the world around them.

 

Implementation 

Curriculum Design and Sequencing 

Geography is taught through the carefully sequenced Opening Worlds curriculum, ensuring that substantive geographical knowledge and disciplinary thinking develop progressively across the school. Learning is deliberately cumulative, with regular retrieval practice enabling pupils to retain knowledge and build meaningful connections between topics over time.

High-Quality Teaching and Learning 

Lessons place geographical storytelling at the heart of learning, helping pupils understand the relationships between places, environments and people before exploring key concepts in greater depth. Teachers explicitly model geographical thinking through questioning, discussion and the use of high-quality maps, atlases, aerial photographs, satellite imagery, fieldwork and a range of geographical data. Pupils learn to interpret evidence, identify patterns, compare places and explain geographical processes using ambitious subject-specific vocabulary.

Geographical Skills Development 

Fieldwork is a central feature of our curriculum. Pupils regularly investigate their local environment and beyond through practical enquiries that develop observation, data collection, mapping and analytical skills. Educational visits and memorable learning experiences further enrich the curriculum, enabling children to apply their learning in authentic contexts.  The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. These sessions are carefully designed to integrate various aspects of the Geography curriculum such as the weather, climate and land as well as sessions using the outdoor environment to teach pupils to read and devise simple maps. Through these experiences, children use essential geographical vocabulary, discussing both the physical and human features of our local surroundings as well as using locational and directional language. Learning geography outdoors helps students grasp the concept that geography exists everywhere around us, emphasising the subject's significant role in comprehending our world and nurturing a sense of responsibility towards its protection. 

In studying geography as a discipline, pupils will: 

• collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes; 

• interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and geographical information systems.

Cross-Curricular Links 

Cross-curricular links with History, Science, English, Mathematics and Art enhance pupils' understanding while preserving the integrity of Geography as a distinct discipline.    Geography is celebrated across the school through events such as Earth Day, where children learn about the effects of plastic on our planet and think about what we can do to help, as well as Refugee Week, which teaches about and celebrates the impact of immigration on the UK and the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

Our Vision

Geography at Bishop Chavasse Primary School is more than learning about places; it is about understanding how our world works and recognising our role within it. Through a rich, ambitious curriculum inspired by Opening Worlds, we aim to develop knowledgeable, inquisitive and reflective geographers who appreciate the diversity of our planet, understand the challenges and opportunities of an interconnected world, and are inspired to care for the environments and communities of both today and the future.