Penpol pupils are curious, respectful and patient learners. In line with our school values, our pupils learn to show respect for our world, including its diverse range of places, people and cultures. Through our rich and relevant geography curriculum, we nurture community-minded, forward-facing international citizens of the future.

How is Geography taught at Penpol School?

Geography is taught to all Penpol School pupils from Reception to Year 6 across the school year. While the meaningful links to other subjects are made clear and explicit, geography is taught as a stand-alone subject, with due regard for its subject-specific knowledge and skills. In the summer term, geographer is our ‘curriculum driver’ for each year group’s topic. During this term, geography is taught in all classes on a weekly basis. During the spring and autumn terms, geography is taught on at least a half termly basis, with meaningful links to our history and science units.

Geography planning is informed (but not restricted) by the National Curriculum. Our curriculum lead has identified the key geographical knowledge and skills in each year groups and these are mapped across the school on the Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression Map. Our leaders’ oversight ensures that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically.

Our geography curriculum is carefully designed with four key concepts at its forefront: place, space, interaction and skills. As pupils progress through the school, their growing knowledge within these concepts, helps them to “seek order and meaning in the diversity and complexity of the world.”

The concept of place stretches pupil’s knowledge of the diverse places, people and cultures of our world.

The concept of interaction deepens pupils’ understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, including changes to their local environments and global landscapes.

The concept of space teaches pupils how ‘things’ (i.e. physical features, populations, services and goods) are arranged on the Earth’s surface. Children develop a deeper understanding of how the patterns and networks (e.g. trade networks) across geographical space are created and how they are changing.

Our local area is fully utilised to extend our pupils’ learning beyond the National Curriculum outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded into our practice. Carefully planned field trips and experiences help bring the teaching of geography alive.

What will we see from the teaching of Geography at Penpol?

Our pupils’ engagement with their geography outcomes are evident in their humanities books. Pupils are also assessed against these outcomes at the end of the summer term.

By the time our pupils leave Penpol School, they will be able to:

• Name and locate many of the world’s countries & cities using maps (focus on Europe and North/South America).
• Name and locate countries, cities and regions of the UK.
• Understand how and why the UK’s human/physical features, geographical regions, topographical features and land-use patterns have changed over time.
• Apply understanding of positional language of longitude, latitude to explain geographical characteristics, e.g. topography.
• Examine and analyse geographical similarities and differences between places (regions of UK, European country and North/South America).
• Examine and explain key aspects of physical geography (climate zones, biomes, vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, earthquakes, volcanoes, water cycle).
• Examine and explain key aspects of human geography (settlement/land use, economic activity and distribution of natural resources).
• Understand the interaction between physical and human processes and features and how these change over time (e.g. sea level rise, climate change).
• Securely use world maps, atlases and globes and digital mapping to build knowledge of the wider world.
• Observe, record and present human/physical features of local area using maps, sketches, plans, graphs, digital technology e.g. numerical, quantitative and writing at length.
• Use 8-point compass, 4- and 6- digit grid references and Ordnance Survey maps.

Penpol School pupils will leave our school as forward-facing international citizens of the future with a deeper sense of their place and purpose in this world. They will have the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in good knowledge and understanding about contemporary issues in our local community, the wider society and the global environment.