Geography

At Parmiter’s, we provide a Geography curriculum which inspires a sense of shared responsibility for the planet and fosters a love of learning for all students as they learn about the world around us.

In order to do this, students gain the confidence to develop a sense of curiosity and to then question and develop critical thinking skills, explore and discover solutions to problems on a variety of spatial scales (local, regional, national and global) and build resilience to respond to our rapidly changing world around us.

The Geography curriculum at Parmiter’s School is designed to educate the future global citizens with cultural literacy and geo-literacy, promote sensitivity, empathy and tolerance towards all others so that our students are role models for the next generation. Geographical issues are always featured in current affairs, making it a highly relevant and engaging subject.

As students progress from Key Stage 3 through to Key Stage 5, they experience a broad and varied curriculum that provides them with the knowledge and geographical skills to understand the human and physical processes that have shaped the places they visit.

The Geographical skills embedded throughout are: investigative and fieldwork skills; cartographic skills; graphical skills; numerical skills; ICT and GIS skills and extended writing skills. The acquisition of Geographical skill is invaluable for any further study and helps prepare them to embrace the challenges of the wider world and enjoy positive life experiences.  

These key skills are also transferable between different curriculum settings and life beyond school.  They learn key skills and processes that will enable them to recognise and explain the spatial and temporal changes at a variety of scales, geographical settings and appreciate the interactions between the Human and Physical worlds.

Parmiter’s geographers have the skills to unlock their potential and hold the key to unlocking solutions to global issues.

In addition to the curriculum detailed in the document below, we run a Geography Club which is predominantly run by students for students with the guidance of a member of staff. These peer-led groups help to build student leadership and voice throughout the school, as well as enshrining global citizenship values through discussions on mutual respect and equality.  

Throughout all key stages, students are offered the opportunity to go on a wide range of Geography trips. Students gain first-hand, practical experiences which support and reinforce knowledge, skills and concepts explored in the classroom. Memorable experiences support long-term learning and recall. Good fieldwork encourages geographical enquiry and frequently leads to higher-order thinking and learning. It encourages students to view things critically and allows them to investigate further.

Getting first-hand experiences of a place can be a far more enriching experience; it makes the curriculum come alive and makes it more meaningful for students.  These trips are to places of Geographical importance to allow students to; experience different landscapes, witness different landforms, cultures, respect differences, understand varying perspectives, connect the present day with the past, gain a sense of scale (size and magnitude), gain an insight into the wider world around them and develop their social skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, independence and boost their self-esteem and confidence. The Geography trips provided are therefore essential for building cultural capital, which is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success.