Geography Curriculum

Age Range: 11-18

Geography at School 21 develops students’ understanding of people, places and cultures, on a local, national and global scale. It empowers all students to engage critically with the world around them; to develop their empathy and curiosity; and to become active global citizens in our changing world.

Geography Curriculum Big Ideas

Place The physical and human characteristics of any location on Earth, and the way that people ascribe meaning to spaces around them
Process The physical and/or human forces that work to form and transform the world
Interconnection The ways in which people, places, environments and process are all connected in a multitude of ways

The School 21 approach

Geography at School 21 instils knowledge and understanding of places within and beyond the UK. Through explicit teaching of key geographical concepts and the spaced repetition of key knowledge, students acquire the foundational understanding to ask curious questions, build empathy and engage as active citizens in our changing world. Human and physical Geography are equally valued, allowing students to build increasingly detailed understanding of geographical processes and the interconnections between these. Geographical skills are embedded within our curriculum, allowing students to critically analyse information and develop as problem solvers. Our curriculum is underpinned by a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; seeking to foster an appreciation of difference, to intentionally seek and value diverse voices, and to purposefully build a rounded understanding of places and cultures within and beyond the UK.

Year 6

Autumn term 1

Migration

Book: Welcome to Nowhere

Autumn term 2

Migration

Book: Welcome to Nowhere

Spring term 1

Spring term 2

Summer term 1

Summer term 2

Year 7

Autumn term 1

How am I connected to places in the world?

Autumn term 2

Spring term 1

How does the climate affect life on Earth?

Spring term 2

Summer term 1

How has the population of our planet over time?

What happens when the land meets the sea?

Summer term 2

Year 8

Autumn term 1

What are the opportunities and challenges for the African continent?

Autumn term 2

What are the opportunities and challenges for the African continent?

Spring term 1

How and why to do levels of development vary across the world?

Spring term 2

How and why to do levels of development vary across the world?

Summer term 1

How do rivers impact life and land?

Summer term 2

How do rivers impact life and land?

Year 9

Autumn term 1

How do rainforests and oceans support life on earth?

Autumn term 2

What hazards do humans face on earth?

Spring term 1

What are the opportunities and challenges of resource use for people and planet?

Spring term 2

What are the opportunities and challenges of resource use for people and planet?

Summer term 1

What are the challenges and opportunities facing the Asian continent?

Summer term 2

How can we make our community and world more sustainable?

Year 10

Autumn term 1

Development Dynamics

Autumn term 2

Hazardous Earth

Spring term 1

Challenges urbanising world

Spring term 2

UK Human Landscapes

Summer term 1

Coasts and fieldwork

Summer term 2

Coasts and fieldwork

Year 11

Autumn term 1

Rivers

People and biosphere

Autumn term 2

Forests under threat

Spring term 1

Consuming energy resources

Spring term 2

Revision

Summer term 1

Revision

Summer term 2

Year 12

Autumn term 1

Earth’s life support systems

Changing spaces making places

Autumn term 2

Earth’s life support systems

Changing spaces making places

Spring term 1

Coastal Landscape Systems

Changing spaces making places

Spring term 2

Coastal Landscape Systems

Global Connections: Human Rights

Summer term 1

NEA

Summer term 2

NEA

Year 13

Autumn term 1

Global Connections: Migration

Disease Dilemmas

Autumn term 2

Global Connections: Migration

Disease Dilemmas

Spring term 1

Disease Dilemmas

Climate Change

Spring term 2

Climate Change

Summer term 1

Summer term 2