Intent

At Sunnyside Primary Academy, our geography curriculum is driven by our core pillars: Aspiring for Excellence, Enriching Language and Communication, Cultivating a Strong Community, Broadening Horizons, and Building a Knowledge-Rich Foundation. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced, ensuring knowledge and skills are systematically developed, deepened, and retained over time.

A strong geographical understanding relies on firm foundations of core knowledge and essential skills. Through our curriculum, pupils develop an awareness of the world, its people, and the interactions between human and physical environments. We cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and a sense of responsibility as global citizens.

Through our curriculum, we aim to:

• Develop pupils’ locational knowledge, enabling them to confidently identify and describe key global locations, continents, countries, and physical features.
• Foster an understanding of human and physical geography, exploring topics such as climate, ecosystems, urbanisation, trade, and environmental sustainability.
• Ensure pupils acquire essential geographical skills, including map reading, compass directions, fieldwork techniques, and data analysis.
• Develop geographical enquiry skills, encouraging pupils to question, investigate, and draw conclusions based on evidence.
• Enrich geographical vocabulary and communication, enabling pupils to articulate their understanding clearly and confidently.
• Explore global interconnections, helping pupils understand how human actions shape the environment and the importance of sustainability.

By integrating these elements, we inspire confident, capable learners who understand and engage with the world around them.

Implementation

Our geography curriculum follows a structured, knowledge-rich approach, ensuring pupils develop a deep, interconnected understanding of key geographical concepts.

Structured Progression

• Geography is taught in a coherent sequence, with substantive knowledge (e.g., location, place, human and physical processes) introduced before disciplinary knowledge (e.g., geographical enquiry and analysis).
• Key concepts are revisited at spaced intervals, strengthening retention and deepening understanding over time.

Developing Geographical Enquiry and Skills

• Pupils learn to ask meaningful geographical questions, analyse sources, and interpret evidence from maps, data, and fieldwork.
• Pupils use a range of geographical tools, including maps, atlases, digital resources, and compasses, to explore spatial patterns and relationships.
• Fieldwork is embedded across year groups, allowing pupils to observe, record, and analyse geographical data in real-world contexts.

Enriching Language and Communication in Geography

• Explicit vocabulary instruction ensures pupils develop a strong geographical lexicon.
• Pupils engage in structured discussions, debates, and written tasks, using precise terminology to explain geographical patterns, processes, and interconnections.

Broadening Horizons and Cultural Awareness

• Pupils study a diverse range of locations, exploring different climates, landscapes, and cultures.
• Contemporary global issues, such as climate change, natural disasters, migration, and urban development, are integrated into learning, making geography relevant and meaningful.
• Pupils learn about significant geographers and explorers, recognising diverse contributions to the field.

Cultivating a Strong Community and Active Citizenship

• Pupils participate in local and national geography events, such as Earth Day and environmental initiatives.
• Sustainability and conservation are key themes, helping pupils understand their role in protecting the environment.
• Pupils explore geographical issues affecting their local community, such as land use, transport, and green spaces.

Assessment and Knowledge Retention

• Retrieval practice, knowledge organisers, and low-stakes quizzes support long-term retention of geographical concepts.
• Formative and summative assessments check pupils’ understanding and application of knowledge.
• Fieldwork projects and geographical enquiries provide opportunities for practical, hands-on learning.

Impact

The success of our geography curriculum is measured by the depth of knowledge, understanding, and skills that pupils retain and apply. We expect to see:

• Secure geographical knowledge, with pupils confidently recalling key locations, human and physical geography, and global issues.
• Confident geographical communication, with pupils articulating patterns, processes, and spatial relationships using precise vocabulary.
• Strong geographical enquiry skills, enabling pupils to interpret maps, analyse data, and conduct fieldwork investigations.
• Critical engagement with environmental and global challenges, fostering responsibility and informed decision-making.
• Meaningful connections between local, national, and global geography, helping pupils understand the world’s interconnectedness.
• High levels of curiosity and enthusiasm, inspiring pupils to see geography as a key discipline for understanding society and the planet.

By providing an ambitious, engaging, and knowledge-rich geography curriculum, Sunnyside Primary Academy equips pupils with the skills, curiosity, and understanding needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.