On 17th June 2021, Ofsted released its research review into geography. The purpose was to identify the factors that contribute to a high-quality geography education, using information around pedagogical practices, assessment processes and whole-school policies and systems.
The review highlights the requirement to begin pupils’ geography journey in EYFS, particularly with regard to geographical vocabulary which is then built on over the subsequent years.
It also suggests that geography is a curriculum area that is often diluted or lost within a topic-based approach, something that we at Sonar Curriculum recognise and address in our approach. In addition, the review points to the fact that teachers’ subject knowledge is often lacking in this area.
However, Ofsted also recognise that there is a ‘healthy appetite’ for geography in primary schools and children care deeply about the world around them and their place in it.
To read more from the geography research review, click here.