Our Geography Curriculum (Intent)

Our bespoke geography curriculum at Springhead is ambitious, inclusive and rich in both substantive and disciplinary knowledge. It nurtures curiosity about the world, supports critical thinking and helps pupils make sense of places, people and environments, while fully meeting the expectations of the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum.

Learning is carefully sequenced to develop secure knowledge of locational and place understanding, alongside key geographical concepts such as human and physical processes, before pupils engage in enquiry and fieldwork. This ensures geographical thinking is purposeful and meaningful, giving pupils regular opportunities to revisit prior learning as they analyse patterns, draw connections and communicate their understanding in a range of contexts.

Our full Geography Policy can be accessed using the link below.

Policies

 

Geography Dashboard Documents

Each year group has its own Geography Dashboard Document, which provides a clear overview of what pupils will learn in geography and how learning is structured across the year. Each document brings together the following elements:

  • Programme of Study – an overview of the substantive knowledge (what pupils will know) and disciplinary skills (what pupils will be able to do) that will be taught throughout the year.

  • Small‑Step Learning Sequences and Knowledge Builders – detailed, step‑by‑step progression of component knowledge and key vocabulary for every unit (e.g., rivers, climate zones, settlements), ensuring pupils develop secure understanding through manageable chunks of learning.

  • Examples of Disciplinary Questioning and Fieldwork – purposeful geographical enquiries pupils may undertake as they progress through the school, including opportunities to investigate human and physical processes, and apply their understanding through fieldwork and data analysis.

  • Suggested Lesson Sequences – example lesson‑by‑lesson guidance showing how units could be taught, including BAD (Basic/Advancing/Deep) statements to support in‑lesson assessment.

  • Pupil Reference Sheets and Assessment Materials – pupil‑friendly knowledge organisers and end‑of‑unit assessments to support retrieval and measure understanding.

Year 1 Geography Dashboard Document

Year 2 Geography Dashboard Document

Year 3 Geography Dashboard Document

Year 4 Geography Dashboard Document

Year 5 Geography Dashboard Document

Year 6 Geography Dashboard Document

Lesson Pathway

Every geography lesson begins with an opportunity for pupils to retrieve, revisit and consolidate prior learning—this is our Smart Start. This retrieval activity may take a range of forms and is designed to activate prior knowledge, strengthen memory and support connections across learning over time.

Lessons then move into a discussion of the learning journey, including the learning objective and BAD statements, which outline the depth at which pupils will engage with new content.

Key vocabulary is introduced before new learning is modelled using our ‘I Do – We Do – You Do’ structure, with practical application and low‑stakes quizzing interwoven throughout to support assessment and retrieval.

Assessment

Our approach to assessment aims to give timely feedback that moves learning forward. We use both formative and summative assessment to evaluate pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills. This includes:

  • Smart Start activities
  • Live marking and feedback during independent tasks
  • Class discussions
  • Targeted questioning

Teachers also make summative judgements at the end of each unit, considering both substantive knowledge and disciplinary knowledge.