Geography at Fawbert & Barnard’s

Intent

At Fawbert & Barnard’s, our Geography curriculum is designed to develop a deep curiosity about the world and its people—one that stays with pupils for life and inspires their interest in travel, cultures and global awareness. Through our motto Learning for Life, we aim to give children a strong sense of place, identity and belonging.

We want pupils to understand their local area of Harlow, the wider United Kingdom and the wider world. By exploring local, national and global environments, children learn how places are connected, how landscapes change, and how human and physical processes shape our world.

Our curriculum develops:

• Strong mapping skills and geographical vocabulary
• Fieldwork skills, observation and data collection
• Understanding of sustainability and environmental responsibility
• The ability to ask and answer geographical questions
• Confident communication and presentation of findings
• Balanced opinions about current environmental and societal issues

Ultimately, we aim to nurture pupils who are knowledgeable, inquisitive and able to articulate their understanding of the world with accuracy, curiosity and respect.

 

Implementation

Geography is taught through a carefully sequenced curriculum that builds knowledge and skills progressively from EYFS to Year 6. Teachers plan units that deepen understanding of both human and physical geography, ensuring that concepts are revisited and built upon over time.

High-quality implementation includes:

• Knowledge organisers outlining key facts, vocabulary and concepts
• A clear cycle of lessons that develops geographical enquiry, mapping, fieldwork and presentation skills
• Regular low-stakes quizzes to support retrieval and long-term memory
• Challenge questions to promote deeper thinking and geographical reasoning
• Fieldwork opportunities within the school grounds, local area and wider community
• Carefully planned trips and visitors to enrich learning and bring geography to life
• Home learning tasks that encourage children to explore geography with adults at home

Pupils are taught to observe carefully, analyse data, ask meaningful questions and draw conclusions. They learn how to communicate their findings confidently using appropriate geographical terminology.

 

Impact

Our Geography curriculum is designed to produce secure, confident and articulate young geographers. Impact is measured in a range of ways:

• Pupil outcomes are evaluated against curriculum expectations
• Work across the school demonstrates progression in knowledge, vocabulary and geographical skills
• Quiz results show improved recall and growing understanding
• Pupil voice reflects curiosity, enjoyment and confidence when discussing their learning
• Fieldwork books, maps and presentations demonstrate pupils’ ability to apply geographical enquiry skills

When children keep up with the curriculum, they are making good progress. By the end of Year 6, pupils can interpret maps, conduct fieldwork, explain geographical processes and express well-informed opinions about environmental and societal issues.

They leave Fawbert & Barnard’s with a rich understanding of the world around them—and the curiosity to explore it further.