BEAFORD COMMUNITY PRIMARY & NURSERY Academy

Vision for Geography

'Geography explains the past, illuminates the present and prepares us for the future. What could be more important than that?'

Michael Palin 2007

Vision

To ensure our pupils receive a high-quality geography education that inspires a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will, as a result, remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Intent

At Beaford Academy, we believe that Geography plays a unique and vital role in a child’s education. Our intent is to inspire a deep curiosity about the world, encouraging pupils to explore and question diverse landscapes, cultures, and phenomena. By fostering empathy and global awareness, we ensure children understand what it means to be a global citizen. To make learning relevant and engaging, we enhance education through real-life contexts such as educational visits, which help pupils apply their knowledge practically.

We are committed to developing essential geographical skills that enable children to explore and understand the world around them. Our curriculum also focuses on teaching various ways to communicate geographical information, including through maps, numerical data, and written expression. Recognising the importance of global connections, we have established partnerships, such as our link with a school in India, to deepen pupils' understanding of diverse cultures and global issues. This approach aligns with our school's key drivers: Building Learning Power, Building Futures, Building Community, and Building Self-Esteem and Wellbeing.

Our two-year geography programme ensures complete coverage of the KS2 National Curriculum. Leaders and governors rigorously monitor the curriculum to maintain high standards, while continually enhancing resources and integrating technology to support and enrich learning. We believe in making geography engaging and relevant, incorporating the expertise of external specialists, as well as organising trips and inviting visitors to bring real-world experiences into the classroom. High-quality teaching is guided by the principles of the Cornerstone Curriculum, ensuring all students receive an excellent education in geography.

Aligned with our Trust’s vision of Life, Love, and Learning to the full, we aim to inspire lifelong curiosity about the world and a lasting understanding of its diverse places and cultures. Our approach not only builds pupils’ understanding of their locality and the wider world but also fosters critical thinking, analytical skills, and a sense of global citizenship and empathy.

Implementation

At Beaford Academy, we believe that Geography plays a unique and vital role in a child’s education. Our intent is to inspire a deep curiosity about the world, encouraging pupils to explore and question diverse landscapes, cultures, and phenomena. By fostering empathy and global awareness, we ensure children understand what it means to be a global citizen. To make learning relevant and engaging, we enhance education through real-life contexts such as educational visits, helping pupils apply their knowledge practically. Our curriculum also focuses on developing essential geographical skills through hands-on fieldwork, where children collect, analyse, and communicate data, building on their prior knowledge and experiences.

Our geography curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and engaging learning experience, aligned with our school's key drivers: Building Learning Power, Building Futures, Building Community, and Building Self-Esteem and Wellbeing. We cover both human and physical geography, helping children understand the interaction between people and their environments. By assessing and building upon pupils’ understanding of geographical vocabulary, we ensure they can effectively communicate their knowledge. Additionally, our global and local partnerships, including a link with a school in India, deepen pupils' understanding of their locality and the wider world, fostering a sense of global citizenship. These implementation strategies ensure that our pupils receive a high-quality geography education that is engaging, comprehensive, and aligned with our Trust’s vision of Life, Love, and Learning to the full.

Impact

Emphasis is placed on investigative learning opportunities to help children gain a coherent knowledge of understanding each unit of work covered throughout the school.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Assessing children’s understanding of topic-linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught.
• Diving deeper pupil discussions about their learning.
• Marking of written work in books.
• Images of the children’s practical learning.
• Moderation staff meetings where the work of key groups of pupils is discussed.
• Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum