This strong continuity allows pupils to develop a depth of knowledge and understanding. A learning sequence could be: KS1: what is this place like? Riverspondslakes as features of the local area (PoS 3a)

KS2: water and its effects on landscapes, eg river features and people, eg flooding (PoS 6c)

KS3: resource issues, eg supply and demand, the impact on the environment of the use of water (PoS 6k)

GCSE:development issues, eg access to clean water

A-level: cost-benefit analysis of major irrigation projects. Water can also be a stimulus for other relevant and interesting geography. For example: Rights and responsibilities: “Who is responsible for providing clean water?” can be considered at the local scale (the inhabitants of a village), the national scale (a country’s government) and the international scale (foreign aid).

Sustainable development: “How much water can be extracted from an aquifer without destroying it?” “What level of pollution can our rivers cope with before they die?”

Interdependence: water is a striking example of environmental interdependence (a river carries pollution from one country to another) as well as economic interdependence (water extraction upstream can result in failed crops downstream)