Building a transition Curriculum

1. Building a transition curriculum
for Geography
Alan Parkinson

2. Image: Andrew Sharpe - 9/11/21

3. Context - Personal
I work in a school where Y7 and 8 remain in the Junior School and
move up to Senior School in Year 9.
Year 3-6 have dedicated ‘Geography’ lessons taught by
non-specialists but with input from me.
I sourced a book published by Folens to assist with planning.
My KS2 use GA publications as the basis for many of the units.

4. Context - National
COVID-19 has disrupted the last 2 academic
years, so those heading towards transition
have not had a ‘normal’ year since 2018-19.
How can we support teachers during this
period?
Don’t forget the need to support each other
with the development of relationships as
well as a focus on the geography.
Official start in September 2022.

5. GA Support for Transition / Curriculum planning

6. Chartered College of
Teaching Journal
https://impact.chartered.college/article/geography-at-heart-primary-curriculum/

7. Fieldwork - Year 4 - Hunstanton
Organised a trip early in new academic year. Funding from my budget - equipment
provided. Booklet of activities including quantitative and qualitative data collection.
⧬🔼

8. What makes Hunstanton a special place?
https://www.loom.com/share/aa1e2c9cdbf44abc9bf22e0
9fd616a13

9. Ambitious aims
• enable their learners to realise the four purposes and equip them for ongoing learning, work
and life • build high expectations and enable all learners to achieve their full potential • offer a
broad and balanced education that enables their learners to make links between the different
areas of learning and experience and apply their learning to new situations and contexts •
support progression along a continuum of learning and how they are working with other
schools to ensure there is alignment in the transitions across a 3 to 16 continuum •
support learners’ health and well-being • support learners’ development of the knowledge, skills
and experiences that are the foundation of being an informed citizen • recognise their learners’
identity, language(s), ability and background and the different support they may need given their
particular circumstances • reflect the diversity of perspectives, values and identities that
shape their locality and Wales and develop understanding of the wider world • build in
co-construction with learners, their families and the wider community • enable their learners to
make sense of growing up in contemporary Wales and of issues that will be important into
the future, including well-being, sustainable development and citizenship • enable their
learners to develop an understanding of their rights and the rights of others.

10. Humanities AoLE
Statements of “what matters”.
https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/humanities/statements-of-what-matters
(September 2021)
Interdisciplinary approach - conversations worth having
Holistic approach - longer term planning

11. https://www.geography.org.uk/Curriculum-for-Wales-the-p
lace-for-geography-

12. GA Welsh SIG
8 themes
- All conflicts great and small
- Cynefin
- Globalisation
- Inequality
- Journeys
- Living in a material world
- Stewardship and water
https://www.geography.org.uk/Curriculum-for-Wales-the-place-for-geography-

13. https://resource.download.wjec.co.uk/vtc/2018-19/int18-19_1-16/pdf/cynefin-en.pdf

14. Cynefin
Y7-9
Stretch
or shift
5 6 7 8 9

15. Cynefin
Y7-9
Stretch
or shift
5 6 7 8 9

16. Only Connect
Identify the main schools from which Y7 pupils will be drawn
Connect with the teachers / geography leads in these schools
Set up a Google Drive / Dropbox for resources - start with Welsh SIG PPTs
and key documents.
Zoom / TEAMS meetings to coordinate
Mutual respect for each others’ professional skill.

17. Develop a shared vocabulary and grammar
“Good morning geographers...” - welcoming the group
Use the same language where possible and appropriate for key elements of
the what matters, concepts etc.
Google Drive - document with key terms and definitions.
“Speaking like a Geographer”

18. Thinking like a geographer
Setting up the idea of looking out for geography ‘in the wild’ beyond the
classroom, and rewarding those that spot it.
Geography doesn’t stop when the lesson end… it keeps going in between
Draw in parents
Celebrate successes. Praise postcards.

19. Keep it simple - one focus at a time
Share reading from the GA and other sources.
Discuss.
Plan.
Pilot
Review.
Continue….

23. a.parkinson@gmail.com
@GeoBlogs
@KingsElyGeog