Intent:

The intent of CUSP Geography is to develop our children’ geographical understanding by building on prior learning and connecting new content to existing knowledge. Starting in EYFS, children explore concepts such as People, Culture, Communities, and the Natural World through hands-on experiences and local exploration. This foundational knowledge is revisited and expanded in later years, with more abstract concepts like the location of continents and oceans made easier to grasp through connections to their immediate environment. CUSP Geography is structured to progressively deepen children’s understanding of places, spaces, scale, human and physical processes, and how these elements interrelate. By focusing on the development of both substantive (factual) and disciplinary (thinking) knowledge, the curriculum ensures that children become “more expert” in geography over time, developing a coherent mental model of the subject. Geographical vocabulary is explicitly taught, starting from basic terms and expanding to more complex language, ensuring that our children can articulate and explain geographical concepts confidently.

Implementation:

CUSP Geography is implemented through a sequenced and cumulative approach, where each study builds upon the knowledge acquired in previous years. In EYFS, children begin exploring the world through activities like examining globes, studying the natural world, and making connections to local and global environments. As they progress, more sophisticated geographical content is introduced, such as the identification of continents, countries, and their relationship to the UK, with a focus on both human and physical geography. The curriculum incorporates deliberate practice and retrieval techniques, such as spaced retrieval practice and word-building exercises, to support long-term retention and understanding of key concepts. Misconceptions are identified and explicitly addressed in the context of the curriculum, ensuring that our children develop accurate geographical knowledge. By incorporating research-led practices, CUSP Geography helps children to think like geographers—selecting, organising, and integrating knowledge to answer questions and solve geographical challenges.

Impact:

The impact of CUSP Geography is seen in the development of children who are not only knowledgeable about geographical facts but are also able to think critically and analytically about the world around them. As children progress through the curriculum, they become more skilled at making connections between geographical concepts, such as place, space, and scale, and applying these ideas to understand human and physical processes. The cumulative structure of the curriculum ensures that knowledge is retained and built upon over time, preventing fragmented understanding. Our children also gain the ability to reason, make sense of content, and ask geographical questions, which are vital for becoming expert geographers. The emphasis on both substantive and disciplinary knowledge helps children build a deeper, more cohesive understanding of geography and prepares them to engage with the world in a thoughtful and informed way. Furthermore, by addressing common misconceptions and promoting cultural awareness and diversity, CUSP Geography empowers children to develop a more accurate and globally aware perspective on the world.