At Sacred Heart, our Geography curriculum nurtures children’s natural curiosity about the world and helps them develop a strong understanding of place, space and environment through practical experiences and fieldwork. Based on the National Curriculum and supported by Dimensions, our inclusive and carefully sequenced approach ensures that all pupils, regardless of ability, build their geographical knowledge, vocabulary and skills over time, with a clear focus on map work. Through consistent planning and assessment, children become confident geographers who are well equipped to understand and engage with the world around them.
Called To Change
At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary and Nursery School we ensure Christ is at the centre of everything we do. We base our curriculum on a Called to Change theme. We design our georgraphy curriculum to support children’s natural curiosity to explore, appreciate and understand the world in which we live and how it has evolved. We want our pupils to learn the skills and knowledge through experience, particularly through practical and fieldwork activities to explore the relationship between the Earth and its people across the study of place, space and environment. The subject also gives children the chance to focus on oracy in the group work that the subject requires.
Intent
All children, including the most disadvantaged pupils, the most able pupils with SEND receive the same challenge within the same board curriculum.
Children develop their vocabulary and knowledge in Geography and across the wider curriculum to close the gap and improve understanding to become geographers.
Every lesson builds on knowledge, skills and understanding from previous lessons and prior learning in earlier years.
All children develop map skills throughout our curriculum to have more impact on our children’s geography skills.
Teachers to develop understanding of assessment and end points.
Implementation
In the Early Years, children develop basic skills and knowledge through ‘Understanding the World’.
Planning for all geography lessons are done using the 2014 National Curriculum. These are the foundation to implement our Called to Change curriculum to ensure that knowledge, skills and understanding is developed throughout the year (short-term) and the Key Stage (long-term). Planning is sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards defined end points.
Impact
All children of all abilities achieve in all lessons. The most disadvantaged children and children with SEND are given the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. All children are taught a broad, rich curriculum and still achieve success in examinations and tests.
Children’s vocabulary is improved across the Key Stage and is extensive by the end of Year 6. Children can confidently access a range of texts and write interesting and engaging pieces.
Children develop their knowledge and skills in reading and writing and reach national expectations or above by the end of each Key Stage.
Assessment
In our school, we regularly complete recap discussions about connecting learning units, to identify children understand the matters, skills and processes specified in programmes.
The standards and criteria set by the National Curriculum which are recorded on Insight annually.
Year 7 - Life After Sacred Heart
We are part of the Mater Christi Trust and work closely with Secondary Schools in our family. We want to ensure that all children have a successful and positive transition between Key Stage 2 and 3 and are prepared for their adult life as well.
We ensure that the children focus on a wide range of geography skills that will assist them in Key Stage 3. This will also develop their confidence in this subject area which will help them connect with new students as they transition into Year 7.
We focus on their oracy skills during all of our geography lessons, projects and field trips which ensures children are able to fully participate as part of a group in a larger setting.
Their time at Primary school ensures that they are fluent in and have mastered the knowledge and skills needed for the Key Stage 2 curriculum and are ready for accessing the Key Stage 3 curriculum in depth.