Opening Worlds Curriculum

This year we are introducing a new curriculum called 'Opening Worlds' in Geography. This will also be introduced in History, Science and Religious Education will be phased into Key Stage 2 (Y3-6) during the next 3 years.  

In 2022-23, the programme will roll out in Year 3 and Year 4 as the curriculum is progressive with each year's learning dependent upon the knowledge, vocabulary and skills acquisition of the previous year/s.

Therefore, the Year 6 class in 2026 will be the first to complete the whole curriculum through the 4 years of Key Stage 2.

We have introduced Opening Worlds for the following reasons:

• An intricately designed, ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum that promotes high expectations in Geography.
• Knowledge and skills sequenced coherently so that pupils can confidently build and connect new learning.
• Meaningful connections across the humanities subjects and wider curriculum.
• Consistent and effective teaching methodology based on cognitive science that the pupils and teachers are familiar with and benefit from over time, and that supports pupils to learn and secure knowledge and skills, long-term. 
• Short and medium-term assessment embedded within the programme so that teachers know if pupils have learnt and remembered the taught curriculum. 
• Evidence-based improvements to pupil progress and success in Geography.
• High quality resources, particularly promoting aspirational reading and comprehension across the curriculum, and the acquisition of precise subject-specific vocabulary.
• Peer support within the Liverpool Project, providing high quality CPD and learning community for teachers.

Intent for Geography

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Futures.

Our Geography Curriculum is designed to develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world and the people that live around them. We are committed to providing children with the opportunities to investigate and make enquires about their local area of Netherley, Liverpool and the surrounding area so that they can develop a sense of who they are, their heritage and what makes our area unique.

Through high quality teaching, we aim to develop the following essential characteristics of geographers:

• An excellent knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in Britain and the wider world
• An extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary
• Fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning and reasoning skills
• The ability to reach clear conclusions and explain findings
• Fieldwork skills
• The ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding  about current issues in society and the environment
• An understanding that we all have a responsibility to look after the world around us
• A genuine interest in the subject and a real curiosity about the world the people who live here

Implementation for Geography

In ensuring high standards of teaching in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. The EYFS geography objectives stated in 'Understanding of the World' are taught in a thematic way across the key stage. This will mainly be child led to allow the teaching and learning to follow the children's interest.

In Key Stage 1 and 2 we do the following to deliver our Geography Curriculum:

• Use the National Curriculum requirements for Geography: providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum; ensuring the progressive development of geographical concepts, knowledge, and skills
• Teachers are provided with medium-term planning for each unit which outlines specific place and locational knowledge; human and physical geography; geographical skills and fieldwork and vocabulary
• Teachers draw on the medium-term plans to plan weekly lessons that are specifically designed for the children, drawing on a range of resources to ensure that lessons are purposeful and focused
• As part of the planning process teachers incorporate basic skills at the beginning of every lesson
• End of unit assessment tasks allow the children to demonstrate what they have learned; 
• Geography is taught as part of a half termly cycle with history
• Geography has cross-curricular links with many areas across the curriculum (see the curriculum map)

Key documents for implementation:

Impact 

Our Geography Curriculum is high quality, well thought out, and planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum we expect them to make at least expected progress. In addition to this, we measure the impact of the curriculum through the following methods:

• Termly assessment of learning against the objectives stated in 'Understanding of the World' from 'Development Matters' in EYFS
• Termly book monitoring/scrutiny and learning walks to ensure that lessons are being taught according to the planned outcomes
• Pupil voice
• Termly discussions with pupils about their learning
• Termly formative assessment based on assessment tasks
• Medium term planning documents annotated by teachers to ensure that planning is a working document
• End of key stage assessment to ensure all areas of teaching and learning have been met
• Standardisation across the city to ensure accurate assessments of children's work