Geography

Curriculum Intent

 1. Curriculum Design

-     The ‘formal’ curriculum for Geography at Chailey School is designed to be engaging, accessible, challenging and enjoyable. The aim is enable students to understand the physical and human processes and features that underpin Geography and the interactions between them. In addition, we aim to encourage students to find their place in the world, to make informed decisions about their own and others’ lives as custodians of their planet in ensuring a sustainable future.

-     Key Stage 3 lasts three years. Key Stage 4 lasts two years.

-     Schemes of work and the activities and resources within them acknowledge the diverse range of students at Chailey School and where relevant their barriers to learning. Ultimately the curriculum is designed to be inclusive to the abilities, cultures and backgrounds of all students. Within lessons disadvantaged students, including those with SEND, are supported through the construction of seating plans, individualised support and intervention.

 2. Coherence and continuity

-     The intent of the curriculum in Geography aligns with the overall curriculum intent of Chailey School.

-     By the end of Key Stage 3, students are expected to know and understand processes and features that help to create the diverse and ever-changing landscapes, environments and communities that make up the world. In turn students should be able to draw a range of geographical skills to investigate, analyse and evaluate places.

-     By the end of Key Stage 4, Geography students are expected to have expanded their appreciation of the world, and be able to analyse the consequence of human interactions in the physical landscape and evaluate strategies to manage these.

-     To achieve this, the Geography curriculum is planned in coherent sequences of lessons – knowledge and understanding will be built on and applied in a cumulative manner. Geographical skills and locational knowledge are present as both distinct units of work as well as being embedded in the wider curriculum.

-     Assessment, testing of knowledge, skills and understanding, and effective feedback and closing the gap on this in will support this – Further details of this can be found in the school’s and subject’s Feedback Policy.

 3. The ‘Informal’ curriculum

-     Geography contributes to the school’s ‘informal’ curriculum – The experience and opportunity for students in Geography is not just about set of exam results, very important though those may be, it is about ensuring students recognise the world beyond Chailey and appreciate the part they can play in it.

-     Geography is an advocate for Learning Outside the Classroom through utilising the immediate school environment, we encourage students to be socially aware and active of initiatives such Fair Trade and sustainability on a number of levels. GCSE Geographers have the opportunity to develop and apply geographical skills and data collection techniques by undertaking physical and human Geography fieldwork.

-     Geographyalso contributes to the development of cultural literacy through developing students understanding of place and their role as global citizens in a dynamic and inspiring world.

 4. Building character and values in the curriculum

-     All subjects at Chailey School contribute towards building the character and values of its young people.

-     Lessons are planned to develop empathy, an appreciation of different viewpoints and perspectives, alongside encouraging creativity in how elements presented and developing confidence, independence and resilience.