Geography at key stage 3

• stimulate pupils' interest in their surroundings and in the variety of human and physical conditions on the earth's surface;
• foster pupils' sense of wonder at the beauty of the world around them;
• help pupils to develop an informed concern about the quality of the environment and the future of the human habitat and thereby enhance pupils' sense of responsibility for the care of the earth and its people.

• investigate a wide range of people, places and environments at different scales around the world;
• study geographical patterns and processes and how political, economic, social and environmental factors affect contemporary geographical issues;
• investigate how places and environments are interdependent;
• carry out geographical enquiry, including identifying geographical questions and developing their own opinions;
• carry out geographical investigations inside and outside the classroom;
• use a range of investigative and problem-solving skills and resources, including different types of maps and atlases, satellite images, aerial photographs, texts and ICT.

• the ability to undertake geographical enquiry and use geographical skills;
• knowledge and understanding of places;
• knowledge and understanding of geographical patterns and processes;
• knowledge and understanding of environmental change and sustainable development.

• study at a range of scales from local to global;
• study different parts of the world and different types of environments, including their local area, the UK, the EU and parts of the world in different states of economic development;
• carry out fieldwork investigations;
• study issues of topical significance.

Some aspects of progression in geography at key stage 3

	From	To
Vocabulary	using a limited geographical vocabulary	precise use of a wider range of vocabulary
Knowledge of places	geographical knowledge of some places	understanding of a wider range of areas and links between them
Patterns and processes	describing geographical patterns and processes	explaining geographical patterns and processes
Geographical thinking	participating in practical geographical activities	building increasingly abstract models of real situations
Geographical explanation	explaining events and phenomena in terms of their own ideas	explaining these in terms of accepted ideas or models
Investigation	unstructured exploration	more systematic investigation
Map skills	using simple drawings, maps and diagrams to represent geographical information	choosing and using a wide range of conventional maps, diagrams and graphs
Fieldwork	guided practical activities in the field	working independently outside the classroom

• What is known about what pupils have already achieved at key stage 2 and how does this affect the pitch of early units?
• What ideas in geography depend on secure understanding of other ideas?
• How can units be sequenced so that earlier work lays the foundations for later work?
• Are there opportunities to revisit and reinforce the ideas pupils need to understand and which some will find difficult?
• When ideas are revisited or reinforced is it in a different context or using different activities?
• How are pupils who have some competence or expertise beyond the levels expected in particular years challenged?
• Is there sufficient challenge for pupils in year 7, year 8 and year 9?
• Are appropriate expectations made of pupils in their use of language, number and ICT?
• Does the programme present a coherent experience of geography for those who leave the subject at the end of year 9?
• Does the programme adequately prepare pupils who continue geography at key stage 4?