As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.
At Key stage 3, the curriculum ensures that pupils consolidate and extend their knowledge of the world’s major countries and their physical and human features. They understand how geographical processes interact to create distinctive human and physical landscapes that change over time. In doing so, they become aware of increasingly complex geographical systems in the world around them. They develop greater competence in using geographical knowledge, approaches and concepts [such as models and theories] and geographical skills in analysing and interpreting different data sources. In this way pupils continue to enrich their locational knowledge and spatial and environmental understanding.
At Key Stage 4, the curriculum requires students to extend their Locational Knowledge and to develop competence in Maps, Fieldwork and Geographical Skills as they study the content of the following four areas of geography:
Place: processes and relationships
Physical geography: processes and change
People and environment: processes and interactions
Human geography: processes and change