Geography Curriculum Intent

At Radcliffe on Trent Junior School, we believe that geography helps children to understand the world around them and their place within it. Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and enquiry-led, enabling every child to develop knowledge of places, people, environments and geographical processes while becoming increasingly confident in thinking and working as a geographer.

Through our commitment to Making Learning Memorable, pupils develop their understanding of human and physical geography and the connections between people, places and environments. They learn to ask geographical questions, use maps and spatial information, undertake fieldwork, collect and interpret evidence, identify patterns and reach informed conclusions. As pupils move through the school, they revisit and build upon previous learning, moving between local, national and global scales and applying their geographical knowledge with increasing confidence, independence and sophistication.

Our school values are woven naturally through geography. Pupils Be Curious as they ask questions and investigate the world around them; Be Brave as they explore complex issues, consider different perspectives and use evidence to reach their own conclusions; and Be Kind as they develop respect for different people, communities and environments and consider the impact our choices can have on others and the planet.

Our local area is an important part of geographical learning at ROTJS. Radcliffe-on-Trent, the River Trent and our local environment provide meaningful opportunities for fieldwork and investigation, helping pupils connect what they learn in the classroom with the world immediately around them. From this strong sense of place, pupils extend their understanding to increasingly complex national and global issues, including environmental change, trade and sustainability.

By the time pupils leave ROTJS, we want them to have the knowledge, curiosity and geographical skills to make sense of an interconnected and changing world. They will be able to question, investigate and interpret geographical evidence, understand different perspectives and make informed judgements about the people, places and environments that shape our world.