At Mount Charles School it is our intention to provide a high-quality geography curriculum that gives pupils a firm understanding of people, places and environments.

Pupils are entitled to a high quality, challenging and engaging geography education that will help them understand the UK and the world around them. We ensure pupils know the difference between human and physical geography and are able to use geographical language accurately. Through high quality teaching and learning pupils are able to draw and interpret maps and develop their skills of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, pupils gain an appreciation of life in other cultures and are able to compare this to their own experiences. Geography teaching motivates pupils to find out about the physical world and enables them to recognize the importance of sustainable development for the future of mankind.

Geography is taught in blocks throughout the year so that pupils develop a deeper understanding and depth in their learning. We use the geography knowledge and skills progression maps to ensure there is clear skills, knowledge and vocabulary progression throughout the school.

Geography is taught in line with the national curriculum and, where possible, links with our Imaginative Learning Projects (ILPs). To support the teaching of geography in school we use ‘Oddizzi’. This allows our pupilsto have access to high quality resources and helps ensure clear progression from Year 1 to Year 6. We use knowledge organisers to outline the key learning each term, have detailed medium term plans which outline learning objectives. As pupils begin each topic pupils complete a KWL grid (What I know, What I want to find out, What I have learnt) which supports teachers in their baseline assessment of what pupils already know at the start of a unit.

EYFS pupils begin by focusing on the areas in which they live, learning about both human and physical features. Pupils also explore how their local area has changed over time and consider how the area in which they live has changed over time. Pupils begin to explore the use of geographical language. In KS1 we aim for pupils to develop their understanding of their local area and globally significant places. Pupils grow in confidence when outlining the differences between human and physical geography as they progress through the key stage and will develop their map reading, researching and investigation skills. These skills continue to be honed and by the end of KS2 pupils are confident geographers able to ask geographical questions, research, analyse and explore current and changing human and physical features.

To ensure pupils succeed, lessons are planned to facilitate opportunities for effective communication of knowledge and understanding. Work is recorded in curriculum gold books and can be evidenced in a range of ways including written work and photographs. Practical activities are recorded on Seesaw and learning is shared with parents and the wider community through Dojo, school newsletters, the school website and social media.

In 2022, 82% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard.

Subject Leader monitoring has shown that: 

• lessons are planned to meet the needs of all learners including those with SEND and disadvantaged;
• teachers are secure in their subject knowledge;
• pupils talk with passion about geography;
• pupils of all abilities feel success in geography lessons;
• pupils are engaged in a wide range of geographical activities; o pupils are completing appropriate work in books, linked to the LO and desired outcomes.

Impact of geography at Mount Charles School is carefully tracked and measured by:

• termly monitoring of pupils’ work in gold books, seesaw and display;
• termly learning walks to monitor quality of teaching and learning in geography;
• discussion with pupils to ascertain engagement in geography;
• monitoring of short-term planning to ensure all areas of the national curriculum are covered;
• triangulation of learning walks, book looks, planning and pupil discussion.
• Assessment tracking on the whole school online assessment tracker, Insight.

Pupils leave Mount Charles having received a high-quality geography education that has inspired in them a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.