Geography at Newfield 

At Newfield, we aim to provide a high quality, broad, knowledge rich, relevant geography curriculum which will prepare our pupils for their future. Our Geography curriculum is aspirational. We intend to ignite in our pupil’s curiosity about Britain and the wider world and foster in them a respect for the environment which will stay with them for the rest of their lives, along with learning skills that can be applied to many future careers.

In selecting curriculum content, we understand the importance of broadening our children’s horizons and achieving cultural capital (the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens). We maximize the use of educational visits to support our teaching.

The geography curriculum at Newfield includes substantive and disciplinary content. Substantive knowledge is the building blocks of factual content and vocabulary that enable pupils to move around within their own knowledge in the curriculum. At Newfield, the substantive knowledge in our geography curriculum is broad in scope, meeting and exceeding the requirements of the National Curriculum. It is meticulous in rigour (responsive to up-date scholarship in geography). It is highly coherent. Links are built within and across subjects so that nothing sits in isolation. Units are carefully sequenced to build on prior learning allowing pupils to make connections.

Disciplinary knowledge is the knowledge of how geographers investigate. Pupils learn how knowledge is constantly renewed in the subject’s ongoing development by geographers. It teaches pupils that the sum of our knowledge is not fixed but is constantly being tested and renewed. It involves the practice of various subject-specific skills. In studying geography at Newfield pupils will have continuous opportunities for geographical enquiry.

A key aspect of the curriculum is the systematic building of children’s vocabulary through subject knowledge.  This is intended to ensure that children build upon prior knowledge throughout the years and leave in Year 6 with an extensive vocabulary. Not only does this improve their reading ability but also prepares them for new geographical content in Year 7.  

At Newfield Primary School we know that, within the context of SEND, personalisation of the curriculum is key so that each individual’s priorities can be considered in order to prepare them adequately for adulthood with the best possible quality of life. Our ambitious curriculum can be successfully adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, developing their knowledge, skills and abilities to apply what they know with increasing fluency and independence. We believe that it is vital that our pupils are equipped with the tools needed to become independent, inquisitive learners in all subjects and that pupils with SEND achieve the very best outcome and reach their full potential.​