Geography Vision & Intent

Our Vision for Geography

At North Duffield, our vision is to inspire curious, knowledgeable and responsible global citizens. We want every child to develop a deep understanding of the world they live in—locally, nationally, and globally—so they can make sense of their changing environment, appreciate the diversity of places and people, and understand their role within a wider global community.

We believe that Geography should ignite children’s fascination about the world and equip them with the skills to become confident geographers: skilled at asking questions, conducting fieldwork, interpreting maps, and using geographical vocabulary with precision.

Intent

Knowledge-Rich and Ambitious

We aim to ensure pupils build secure, connected knowledge about:

· Locational knowledge (continents, oceans, countries, UK regions, major cities)

· Place knowledge (similarities and differences between localities, UK regions, and contrasting non-European countries)

· Human and physical geography (weather, climate zones, biomes, rivers, mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, settlements, land use, trade, economic activity)

· Geographical skills and fieldwork (mapwork, compass directions, grid references, symbols, aerial photographs, field data collection)

Implementation

Our curriculum deliberately builds knowledge progressively from EYFS to Year 6, following clear age-appropriate expectations.

Coherently Sequenced for Long-Term Learning

The curriculum carefully sequences key concepts—place, space, scale, environment, and interconnection—so that learning deepens over time.

Progression is planned across:

· Location,

· Features (human and physical),

· Processes, and

· Techniques,

For example:

· KS1 explores their immediate environment, weather patterns, and the UK.

· Lower KS2 expands to Europe, early climate concepts, and local fieldwork.

· Upper KS2 explores world regions, time zones, trade, global interdependence, and human impact on environments.

This ensures pupils retain and build on prior learning.

Rooted in the National Curriculum

Our curriculum meets and exceeds the statutory requirements for Geography at Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils are taught the full breadth of the National Curriculum, including:

· Naming and locating continents, oceans, and countries

· Understanding weather and seasonal patterns

· Exploring similarities/differences between UK and global locations

· Using maps, atlases, globes, compasses, aerial photos

· Conducting fieldwork to observe, measure, and record

· Developing understanding of key human and physical processes (volcanoes, rivers, climate, settlement, economic activity)

Enriched through Fieldwork

Fieldwork is a strength and a non-negotiable part of our curriculum. Pupils engage in meaningful fieldwork every year—beginning with simple observations of the school grounds in EYFS, progressing to local area studies, and culminating in KS2 with mapping, data collection, land-use surveys, and human/physical feature analysis.

Vocabulary-Driven

Geography is planned with explicit vocabulary progression. Pupils encounter ambitious, domain-specific vocabulary.

Language is revisited regularly to secure understanding.

Inclusive and Accessible

Every child can succeed in geography. We provide:

· Scaffolding and adaptations for children with SEND

· Rich challenge through open enquiry questions

· Practical and hands-on learning opportunities

· Visual and multimodal resources (maps, satellite imagery, models)

Relevant and Globally Aware

Learning addresses contemporary themes such as:

· Climate change

· Ecosystems and sustainability

· Human impact on oceans

· Urban development

· Global interdependence

Pedagogical Approach

We teach geography through:

· Enquiry-based learning

· Retrieval practice embedded in every lesson

· Explicit teaching of substantive and disciplinary knowledge

· Practical fieldwork and real-world problem solving

· Cross-curricular links (particularly reading, science, and computing)

· Cultural capital experiences (museums, nature reserves, visitor talks)

Impact

By the end of Year 6, pupils will:

· Have a secure, broad and deep knowledge of global geography

· Interpret a range of maps using grid references, symbols and scales

· Describe and explain human and physical processes using appropriate vocabulary

· Understand how places are connected and how the world is changing

· Conduct fieldwork confidently and analyse geographical data

· Communicate their understanding verbally, in writing, and through diagrams and maps

· Be prepared for KS3 geography with curiosity, confidence and strong foundational knowledge

Impact is monitored through:

· Low-stakes quizzes

· Pupil voice

· Book looks and mapwork checks

· Assessment of fieldwork skills

· End-of-unit tasks and concept maps