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KS3 Rationale
Our Geography curriculum aims:
The Geographical Association and their Manifesto for Geography (‘A Different View’), suggests that there are few things more fundamental than learning about ‘the earth as our home’. The key theme for our curriculum could be summarised as:
Geography is the study of the earth as a home to humankind (Johnson, 1985).
Through their understanding of geography, we aim to:
- Provide students with the means to think about the world in new ways - 'thinking like a geographer'.
- Provide students with the geographical knowledge they need to understand contemporary challenges facing our planet and to live their lives as knowledgeable citizens - aware of their own communities in a global setting.
- Provide students with the means to (and the necessary knowledge to) question and debate the knowledge, such as that they have the skills to be active participants and investigators - rather than passive recipients of knowledge.
- Expose students to geographical enquiry - allowing them to deepen their conceptual understanding through reasoning, interpreting data, arguing their point and undertaking fieldwork.
For that reason, our curriculum is built around rigorous, challenging and intriguing enquiry questions.
Questions open out a topic rather than closing it down (Roberts, 2013)
| Teamwork | Expose students to geographical enquiry - allowing them to deepen their conceptual understanding through reasoning, interpreting data, arguing their point and undertaking fieldwork. We expect all members of our community to work together, value the contribution of others and contribute positively to all aspects of school life. |
| Respect | To encourage respect for all members of our local and global community. To learn how to be more tolerant of other people, countries and cultures. Through exploring and understanding different cultures and countries. To think about the World in new ways. |
| Ambition | Have the highest expectations for ourselves and others. Provide students with the means to (and the necessary knowledge to) question and debate the knowledge: such as that they have the skills to be active participants and investigators - rather than passive recipients of knowledge. |
| Community | Together, through sharing a common purpose, we build a strong sense of belonging and contribute positively to the lives of others. Through their understanding of geography, students are more aware of their place in an increasingly interconnected world. |
| Knowledge | We aim to set in motion and foster a lifelong love of learning about our planet. We aim to provide students with the geographical knowledge they need to understand contemporary challenges facing our planet and to live their lives as knowledgeable citizens - aware of their own communities in a global setting. |