At Hethersett VC Primary School, we believe in a curriculum that is broad, balanced and valued across all subjects. Our Geography curriculum inspires curiosity about the world and helps children understand their place within it. We want pupils to develop a fascination for places, people, environments and the complex relationships that shape our planet.

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Recognise prior learning, provide first-hand experiences and build resilience
• Develop enquiry skills, critical thinking and global awareness
• Promote purposeful learning, enjoyable experiences and coherent progression
• Encourage curiosity about the natural and human world

We use the Kapow Primary Geography curriculum to deliver engaging, progressive and knowledge-rich lessons. The curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6, enabling pupils to build geographical knowledge and skills over time while developing an understanding of physical and human processes, environmental issues and global citizenship.

Every child is seen as unique, valued and celebrated within our school community. Through Geography, pupils learn to appreciate the diversity of people, places and cultures whilst developing an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our world.

Our Christian values of wisdom, compassion, responsibility, truthfulness and friendship encourage children to care for the environment, respect different communities and understand their role as responsible global citizens.

Our Curriculum Approach

Geography forms part of our carefully planned foundation curriculum, which is structured around termly themes and three overarching concepts:

• Systems – understanding how physical and human systems work and interact
• Connection – recognising relationships between people, places, environments and economies
• Change – exploring how places and environments develop and evolve over time

These concepts are revisited throughout pupils' time at Hethersett, enabling them to build increasingly sophisticated geographical understanding. Learning begins with familiar places and simple observations in Key Stage 1 and develops into more complex thinking about environmental, economic and global issues by the end of Key Stage 2.

Geography is taught as a discrete subject through the Kapow curriculum, ensuring pupils develop secure geographical knowledge, vocabulary and enquiry skills. Where appropriate, teachers draw attention to meaningful links with the wider curriculum theme, helping pupils make connections across their learning whilst maintaining the integrity of the subject.

Intent

At Hethersett VC Primary School, we aim to inspire pupils to become curious, knowledgeable and responsible geographers.

Through the Kapow Primary Geography curriculum, pupils develop:

• An understanding of the world's continents, countries and oceans
• Knowledge of human and physical geographical features
• An appreciation of diverse places, cultures and communities
• Geographical enquiry and fieldwork skills
• The ability to collect, analyse and interpret geographical information
• An understanding of environmental issues and sustainability
• Respect for the world and the people who live within it

We want children to understand how physical and human processes shape the world around them and how people's actions can influence environments at local, national and global levels.

Through geographical learning, pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed to understand current issues, make informed decisions and appreciate their role in an interconnected world.

Implementation

Geography is taught through the carefully structured Kapow Primary curriculum, which provides clear progression in both substantive geographical knowledge and disciplinary geographical skills.

Children learn through a range of enquiries, investigations and fieldwork activities that develop understanding of:

• Locational knowledge
• Place knowledge
• Human geography
• Physical geography
• Geographical skills and fieldwork
• Environmental awareness and sustainability

Lessons encourage pupils to:

• Ask geographical questions
• Explore maps, atlases and digital mapping tools
• Interpret photographs, diagrams and data
• Collect and analyse information
• Compare places and environments
• Investigate geographical processes and patterns
• Develop reasoned geographical explanations

Throughout the curriculum, pupils explore how systems operate within the natural and human world, how places and people are connected locally and globally, and how environments and communities change over time.

Children begin by studying familiar places and simple geographical concepts before progressing to more complex studies of rivers, climate, settlements, trade, ecosystems and global issues. Geographical vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited, enabling pupils to communicate their understanding with confidence and accuracy.

Fieldwork opportunities provide first-hand experiences that bring learning to life and help children understand geography beyond the classroom.

Impact

The impact of our Geography curriculum is seen in pupils who are curious about the world and able to think like geographers.

Throughout lessons, teachers use formative assessment strategies including:

• Questioning and discussion
• Retrieval activities
• Geographical enquiries
• Fieldwork observations
• Analysis of maps, data and sources
• Pupil reflection and evaluation

These approaches enable teachers to assess understanding, identify misconceptions and adapt teaching to support all learners.

Kapow's assessment materials also support teachers in evaluating how effectively pupils have secured key geographical knowledge, vocabulary and skills.

By the time they leave Hethersett VC Primary School, pupils will:

• Have a secure understanding of key geographical knowledge and concepts
• Use geographical vocabulary accurately and confidently
• Understand how physical and human processes shape places and environments
• Recognise connections between people, places and the wider world
• Explain how environments and communities change over time
• Demonstrate strong enquiry, fieldwork and analytical skills
• Show respect for different cultures, communities and environments
• Be informed, responsible and globally aware citizens

Throughout their time at Hethersett, pupils engage in meaningful geographical enquiries, fieldwork experiences and discussions about the world around them. They leave primary school with a deeper understanding of the planet, an appreciation of its diversity and a curiosity that encourages lifelong learning about the world and their place within it.