Geography Curriculum Rationale

At Martock Church of England Primary School, our Geography curriculum is designed to inspire pupils to become curious and explorative thinkers with a diverse knowledge of the world; in other words, to think like a geographers. By adopting the Kapow Primary Geography scheme, we aim to provide a progressive and effective curriculum which inspires the children and aligns with the requirements of the National Curriculum, while also meeting the unique needs of our school community.

The Kapow Primary Geography curriculum provides a well-structured and coherent progression of knowledge and skills from EYFS through to Year 6. It ensures that pupils develop a secure understanding of key geographical concepts, such as place, space, scale, and human-environment interactions, and are able to apply these to a range of contexts. The scheme also places a strong emphasis on developing pupils' fieldwork and map skills, which aligns with the National Curriculum's focus on practical geographical enquiry.

Our school context, with its rural setting and higher than average proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium and with SEND, means that we need a curriculum that can engage and challenge all learners. The Kapow Primary scheme provides a range of adaptable lesson plans, resources, and teaching strategies that enable our teachers to effectively differentiate and support the learning of all pupils, including those with additional needs. The scheme's focus on real-world, relevant topics and issues also helps to make the curriculum accessible and meaningful for our pupils.

Furthermore, the Kapow Primary Geography curriculum is aspirational in its content and expectations. It covers a broad range of geographical themes, from physical processes to human geography, and encourages pupils to develop higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving. This aligns with our school's vision of providing excellent opportunities for all pupils to flourish and make a positive difference to the world around them.

Whole School Aims

Our Geography curriculum is closely aligned with the school's overall vision and values. By fostering a sense of curiosity and exploration about the world, the Geography curriculum supports our vision of giving children the chance to flourish in a nurturing environment. The emphasis on collaborative learning and respect for different perspectives also reflects our core values of kindness, respect, and collaboration.

Additionally, the Geography curriculum contributes to the school's improvement priorities, particularly in relation to developing a coherent and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils. The Kapow Primary scheme provides a clear progression of knowledge and skills, which helps to address the inspection feedback around the need to identify the specific knowledge that pupils should learn. The scheme's focus on developing subject expertise and consistent teaching strategies also aligns with the priority to improve the implementation of the curriculum across the school.

Subject Vision

At Martock Church of England Primary School, we believe that Geography is a vital subject that helps pupils to understand the world around them and their place within it. By studying Geography, our pupils will develop a deep appreciation for the diversity of cultures, environments, and human experiences that exist globally. They will also gain the knowledge and skills to become informed and responsible citizens, able to make a positive contribution to their local and global communities.

Our Geography curriculum aims to inspire pupils to think like geographers, encouraging them to ask questions, explore new perspectives, and engage in practical fieldwork and enquiry. We want our pupils to leave our school with a strong foundation of geographical knowledge and the ability to apply this to real-world contexts, preparing them for the next stage of their education and beyond.

Communication with Stakeholders

To ensure the successful implementation of our Geography curriculum, we will need to communicate our rationale and vision effectively with all stakeholders, including staff, pupils, parents, and governors.

For staff, we will provide comprehensive training and support to ensure that they have the necessary subject knowledge and pedagogical skills to deliver the Kapow Primary scheme effectively. This will include regular subject-specific CPD, as well as opportunities for collaborative planning and sharing of best practice.

For pupils, we will ensure that the Geography curriculum is made explicit in our whole-school curriculum maps and that the key concepts and skills are clearly communicated in lessons. We will also showcase pupil's geographical work and achievements through displays, assemblies, and other celebration events.

To engage parents, we will share our Geography curriculum rationale, vision and learning through our school website, newsletters, and Class Dojo. We will also encourage parents to support their children's geographical learning at home, by suggesting relevant resources and activities.

Finally, we will work closely with our governing body to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the Geography curriculum and its alignment with the school's overall vision and improvement priorities. We will provide regular updates on the implementation and impact of the Geography curriculum, and seek their input and support in driving further improvements.

Addressing Inspection Feedback

The Kapow Primary Geography curriculum directly addresses the key areas for improvement identified in the most recent Ofsted inspection report.

Firstly, the scheme provides a clear and coherent progression of geographical knowledge and skills from EYFS to Year 6, addressing the need to identify the specific knowledge that pupils should learn. The scheme's focus on building upon prior learning and developing conceptual understanding aligns with the inspection feedback around the need to ensure that learning is always building on pupils' existing knowledge.

Secondly, the Kapow Primary scheme offers a range of teaching strategies and resources that support the consistent implementation of the Geography curriculum across the school. This includes clear guidance on effective pedagogical approaches, as well as opportunities for subject-specific professional development. By addressing the variability in curriculum delivery identified in the inspection report, this scheme will help to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, are able to learn well across the Geography curriculum.

Finally, the scheme's comprehensive subject leadership support, including guidance on monitoring and evaluation, will enable our Geography subject leader to develop staff expertise and drive improvements in the quality of Geography education at our school. This directly responds to the inspection feedback around the need to strengthen subject leadership to improve the curriculum.

By adopting the Kapow Primary Geography scheme, we are confident that we can address the key areas for improvement identified in the Ofsted report and provide a high-quality, ambitious Geography curriculum that meets the needs of all our pupils.

Transitioning to the new curriculum

As we have adopted the Kapow Primary Curriculum mid-year, the 24-25 long term plan has been adapted to allow for topics that have already been taught this year or in previous years.

Years 1-6 will all teach the units from the second half of spring term onwards. Some units may be taught in different years or in a different order to allow for the change in curriculum.

Year R will continue to use their long term plan for this year but use some of the activities from the scheme to deliver their objectives. They will then use this scheme from the next academic year.