Geography Curriculum Intent
The aim of the Moat Geography curriculum is to inspire students to be curious about the world and its people. We want our students to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand the diverse places, people, resources and the environments we live in.
At KS3 years 7 and 8 students follow the National Curriculum. We deliver a sequence of learning that builds on prior KS2 knowledge. KS3 learning embeds key knowledge and skills enabling learners to progress into KS4 and prepare for the GCSE.
Students complete a range of topics such as Extreme Environments, Tectonic Hazards, Globalisation and Global Population. They also have the opportunities to engage with the world outside our classroom with competitions including a winning flag being sent to Antarctica, trips to locations such as Cadbury World and actively supporting the environment through a litter pick.
At KS4, Years 9, 10 and 11 students follow the OCR B Geography GCSE specification. We cover ‘Our Natural World’ focusing on natural environments, climate change and natural hazards and ‘People and Society’ which focuses on human geographies such as resources, development and urban environments. Pupils continue to be offered opportunities to engage in learning outside the classroom through fieldwork such as a river enquiry in the Peak District and careers related activities including a town planning event at the LCB Depot.
There is a thread of learning in the department which focuses on knowledge and skills. Students learn knowledge through the use of key concepts and relate these to a variety of case studies from a local to global scale. Skills such as statistics and presentation of data are used regularly in geography. The department have developed a cross-curricular link with the math department which helps to build our students skills.
The curriculum is planned to be accessible to all students through learning that is suitable to their prior knowledge and skills. Students are provided with scaffolded support to develop the skills to answer exam questions and progress of our students is tracked through a system of self, peer and teacher assessment.
History Curriculum Intent
The aim of the Moat history curriculum is to inspire students to take a greater interest in history, to enjoy historical learning and to become competent historians.
At KS3, Years 7 and 8 students follow the National Curriculum. Students complete a range of topics such as ‘Prehistoric Britain’ and ‘The Holocaust’ which introduce them to a range of historical periods and geographical locations. The curriculum considers the Moat context and pertinent subject matter such as the role of Muslim soldiers in WW1 and slavery is included.
The learning builds on the KS2 curriculum by offering a contrast in subject matter and being appropriately challenging for our students. The first unit in Year7 introduces students to the skills or concepts they will need at GCSE including using chronology and making inferences. These skills are then developed over the course. All assessments are GCSE exam questions with appropriate scaffolding, to ensure students are well prepared for GCSE study.
At KS4, Years 9, 10 and 11 students follow the Edexcel history GCSE specification. Four units are completed in an interleaved style; Weimar and Nazi Germany, Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, Medicine Through Time and the Cold War. The exam questions skills learnt in Years 7 and 8 are developed further, with students being supported to answer GCSE questions in an increasingly independent way. The curriculum in all five year groups balances the development of key historical skills and content.
Through careful lesson planning and the appropriate selection of content, most students can access the history curriculum. A number of additional resources are provided to students and both foundation and standard text books are used. A number of trips supplement to curriculum such as a visit to Cresswell Crags for Year 7 and Warwick castle for Year 9.