Geography

What does Geography look like at Rosa Street?

What does Geography look like at Rosa Street?

At Rosa Street Primary School, we believe that a strong geography curriculum helps children understand their local area, the wider world and their place within it. We want pupils to develop a sense of place in Spennymoor while also gaining insight into national and international geography, including how environments and communities change over time. Through topics such as climate change and sustainability, children learn how their choices can impact the world around them.

Our Geography Curriculum
Our curriculum is enquiry-based, with each unit starting from a key question. This approach encourages children to investigate, think critically and apply their learning to real-world issues. Planning is built around four “golden threads” from the National Curriculum: Location Knowledge, Place Knowledge, Human and Physical Geography, and Geographical Skills and Fieldwork. These are revisited and deepened each year so that children’s knowledge and skills progress as they move through school.

Knowledge organisers support pupils’ independence by providing key vocabulary, concepts and an overview of each unit. Fieldwork and local studies give children first-hand experience, while links with partner schools in Sri Lanka and South Korea broaden their understanding of contrasting geographies and cultures. Our geography curriculum also connects with school priorities such as Rights Respecting Schools, Educate and Celebrate and Eco Schools.

Raising Aspirations and Local Connections
As many of our pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds, raising aspirations is central to our geography teaching. Children explore how Spennymoor has changed over time and how geography links to a range of careers. We show pupils that opportunities exist both locally and globally, and that their futures are connected to the pressing issues of climate change and sustainability.

What Children Achieve
By the time they leave Rosa Street, pupils will have developed strong geographical skills, a wide vocabulary and the ability to talk confidently about places they have studied. They will be able to discuss geographical issues, present informed opinions and understand how human and physical geography interact. Most importantly, they will have the knowledge and curiosity to continue exploring the world around them.