Geography
Geography is essential for realizing our motto: “Students of today, Citizens of tomorrow.” Aligned with the Geography National Curriculum, the subject provides a critical lens for understanding our planet, developing ethical citizens ready for a complex world.
Geography naturally fosters respect and kindness by focusing on human and physical diversity. Students explore different cultures, environmental challenges, and issues of global inequality, promoting empathy and discouraging ethnocentric views. This understanding is key to building harmonious and supportive communities.
The subject builds academic confidence through practical skills like map reading, GIS, and data interpretation, enabling students to articulate geographical arguments clearly. Fieldwork and investigation demand determination as students collect, analyze, and synthesize primary information with precision and resilience.
Most critically, Geography instills a profound sense of responsibility. By studying climate change, resource management, and sustainable development, students grasp the interconnectedness of human actions and environmental systems. This knowledge equips them to make informed choices, ensuring they become responsible, proactive citizens who contribute thoughtfully to the world of tomorrow.
At Ralph Sadleir we believe Geography is important because:
Understanding the World: Geography helps students understand Earth’s physical features and human societies, enabling them to comprehend their surroundings.
Cultural Awareness: Geography cultivates appreciation for global cultural diversity, fostering empathy and understanding as students explore various regions, languages, religions, and traditions worldwide.
Spatial Awareness: Geography imparts vital spatial skills like map reading and navigation, essential for problem-solving and decision-making in diverse contexts.
Environmental Consciousness: Geography teaches about environmental issues like climate change, deforestation, and pollution, empowering students to be environmentally responsible citizens by understanding the
interconnections between ecosystems and human activities.
Global Citizenship: Geography fosters global citizenship by prompting critical thinking on issues like poverty, inequality, migration, and sustainable development, instilling a sense of responsibility towards the planet and its inhabitants.
Economic Literacy: Geography acquaints students with economic concepts like trade, resources, development, and globalization, aiding their understanding of how geographical factors shape economies and contribute to economic processes and inequalities.
Interdisciplinary Connections: Geography is interdisciplinary, blending concepts from science, maths, history, fostering cross-curricular connections and holistic understanding.
| Geography Curriculum Overview 2025/2026 | ||||||
| Year | Autumn | Spring | Summer | |||
| I | II | I | II | I | II | |
| 5 | What is geography? | How does the weather affect us? | What are mountains and how are they formed? | What makes Africa unique? | What is life like in Kenya? | How are coasts formed? |
|
6 |
How is the world changing and why does it matter? | Why do people choose to live in certain places? | How do rivers shape the land and affect people? | What makes South America special? | Why is Brazil unique in its people, places, and environment? | What makes our local area special and how has it changed? |
| 7 | How do geographers use maps and skills to explore the world? | What makes the UK special and diverse? | Why do earthquakes and volcanoes happen? | How do people produce and use energy around the world? | Why do people and goods move from place to place? | |
| 8 | How do animals, plants and people survive in extreme environments? | What makes China unique? | How are countries in Europe similar and different? | What makes France interesting to explore? | How do weather hazards affect people and places? | Why do populations grow and change around the world? |
