Designing and timetabling the primary curriculum published by the QCA is good news for geography. It shows how schools can plan a broad and balanced curriculum while still retaining a focus on literacy and numeracy. Time can be adjusted, without extending the school day, to create additional teaching sessions, for example, by avoiding the time slippage that can result from fitting a 60 minute literacy session into 75 minutes, because this is the time between assembly and break.

There are different ways of blocking time to create more effective teaching sessions. For example, a 100-minute session per week of geography for half a term, followed by the same for history the next half-term, makes it much easier to organise work outside the classroom.

Combining subjects is another possibility, although a return to pre-national curriculum topic webs that put all ingredients in one pot is not recommended. Instead, there is flexibility to combine objectives from more than one programme of study. For example, the QCA’s unit of study “Tocuaro: a contrasting locality overseas” offers opportunities to combine geography with design and technology, since a main activity in the village is making craft goods for the tourist market.

Some of the QCA’s suggestions will be difficult for schools to implement. There are the inevitable practicalities, such as when the school hall is available for PE, and the bus timetable at the start and end of the day. Some schools also have less flexibility than others as they strive to meet challenging literacy and numeracy targets. However, the principles in the guidance should help all schools find a way of reinvigorating their curriculum provision.

Designing and timetabling the primary curriculum is particularly supportive in relation to Foundation subjects. In 1998 the programmes of study for these subjects were suspended for a two-year period while the literacy and numeracy strategies were introduced. In September 2000 they became statutory again, albeit in a slimmed-down version, but Ofsted reports show that many schools have not revised their teaching programmes.

The starting point for geography is an allocation of 50 minutes a week at key stage 1 and 55 minutes a week at KS2. This equates to 4 per cent of curriculum time. Few schools will teach precisely this on a weekly basis and many would argue that this is undesirable anyway. However, it gives an indication of the emphasis that should be given to the subject if the programme of study is to be covered in sufficient depth.

There is sobering evidence that geography has fared less well than other Foundation subjects since 1998. In his Annual Report for 200001, Her Majesty’s chief inspector of schools Chris Woodhead commented that in geography, and design and technology, “there is less good work than in all other subjects”.

One reason for this is that primary schools have found the geography programme of study difficult to work with. It does not break down into neat topics. Also, the main building blocks of the revised curriculum are few in number (two at KS1 and five at KS2), which makes maintaining continuity and progression a challenge. Little time is given to geography on many teacher training courses and this situation will become worse now that colleges are required to deliver training in only geography or history.

FINDING TIME FOR THINGS THAT MATTER:

Geography in Primary Schools

The Geographical Association Primary Committee’s free leaflet.

Geography:

* develops critical and creative thinking and the ability to make sense of information.

* promotes world knowledge.

* develops an understanding of people and places.

The QCA scheme of work helps to define “topics to study” and many publishers have developed resources to support the busy class teacher. These units are not the only way of delivering the geography curriculum, but are a good start. The national curriculum website, www.nc.uk.net, also offers support.

There are many opportunities to teach geography through other curriculum areas. The requirement to address topical events could be delivered as part of news writing or map skills and co-ordinates could be developed through numeracy.

Geography should be fun. Look for inspiration in the world around you.

Keith Grimwade is head of Cambridgeshire LEA’s curriculum advisory service and chair of the Geographical Association’s education committee.