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https://www.retoday.org.uk/uploads/RE%20Today%20Website/SoW%20promo/RET%20SoW%20list%20of%20units%20A.pdf

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https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/primaryeducationnetwork/2021/01/14/foundation-for-what-issues-in-eyfs-continuity-and-an-integrated-pedagogy-for-ks1/

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Foundation for What? Issues in EYFS continuity and an integrated pedagogy for KS1

In this post, Philip Hood and Joanna Redfer n reflect on a journey towards continuity between EYFS and KS1 across two linked C of E Infant schools and offer a model for an integrated pedagogical response.
The problem of continuity
This 'learning journey' spans several years. It was first reported on in a journal article (Hood 2013), which reflected an initial phase before the national curriculum changes in 2013; these changes made the KS1 curriculum both more crowded, more formal and more demanding. Since that time the philosophy of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has become embedded in the Pre-School and Reception classes, but as children moved into KS1, a dip in both attainment and well-being had become evident. As the curriculum abruptly becomes more formal and adult-centred between EYFS and Y1, the space for children to embed new concepts through play or to explore their own ideas with the support of an interested peer or adult appears to be reduced. Reflecting that, if learning was to be meaningful for children in KS1, it must build on the pedagogy of the EYFS and a sound understanding of child development, a revisiting of the Statutory Framework for the EYFS became the basis of professional development for all staff. But the 'problem' remained, as is shown by this statement from that document:

As children grow older, and as their development allows, it is expected that the balance will gradually shift towards more activities led by adults, to help children prepare for more formal learning, ready for Year 1 (DfE 2017:9).

The question then became: What does progression in child-led learning look like as children move into KS1? Is it simply a matter of spending less time on play or other child-led activities, and more on activities led by adults? If what actually happens is more time spent listening to the teacher, then a more sophisticated understanding of the optimum learning environment to deliver KS1 objectives successfully, including the role of the adult, is needed.
A learning journey
On revisiting the article and seeking to evaluate the current position of the schools' pedagogy and practice, conversations have taken place virtually over the past year between the two authors and other senior staff. Because of the covid-19 crisis, some classroom observation has been mediated by the second author via video technology. Two areas which had been addressed before these discussions with the first author began were the learning environment and the daily routine including a 'plan, do, review' structure. Support had been received from the Early Excellence Centre and from the local Church of England Dioscesan fund to create both indoor and outdoor continuous provision resources for children to access from choice and to use these creatively. The photos contained in this blog show children engaged in projects they have chosen, working at their own speed and in the way they have chosen according to planning which may have been facilitated by an adult but only in response to their own expressed aims and objectives. They are expected to review each completed piece of work or process task and to speak about how and why they made choices while learning.

Over the past eighteen months agreement has been reached on how much whole-class teaching should occur and what are the daily non-negotiables. Every day KS1 children receive a whole-class phonics/spelling session and an equivalent maths one - each lasting for a maximum of twenty minutes. The other non-negotiable is a daily whole-class story time. Religious Education, Physical Education and guided reading all take place at some point during the week. Beyond this, teachers plan a flexible, creative curriculum which saves time and exploits the links between curriculum areas. For example, the twice a week story time focuses on a PSHE objective through an engaging text that promotes discussion.

Unsurprisingly the 'terminology' that appeared and re-appeared early in the discussions were the familiar ones about early childhood education pedagogy: were the activities child initiated or teacher initiated, what was the role of playful activity, should there be a focus on developing independence? The polarity between teacher- and child-initiated activity surfaces frequently in both literature and practice discussions and there was a desire by school staff to see a model where the two were not opposed but complemented each other. The current focus on direct teaching in educational discussion was felt to be a strand which could not be ignored. In trying to see a way which all of these five elements could be held in focus at the same time, rather than in rotation, the concept of child ownership of the curriculum and pedagogy surfaced. If the overall aim of teaching and learning in this (or any) phase is to develop learner agency, then the child has to feel ownership of the school day and of all of the types of teaching and learning it contains. This does not mean the child dictates either the curriculum or the pedagogy, but rather that all learning is child-centred in terms of their active awareness of and engagement in the purpose of all activities, the manner of their participation and their awareness and therefore their ownership of learning.
A pedagogical model
The figure below evolved to be used as a basis for discussing what elements the pedagogical model should consist of and how all of these elements could be made to be meaningful and purposeful to each learner. It is intended, not as a lesson planning model but for a facilitative device to deepen practitioner understanding of how learning might be structured over time and perhaps also as a mode of reflecting back on a learning sequence to unpick how it developed and how it might be enhanced.

Fig 1 An integrated pedagogy for EYFS/KS1 designed to give agency to learners and teachers.

A series of questions attached to each 'label' on the diagram was also evolved. The intention of this process was to create prompts for policy discussions from the level of pre-school (a new initiative in the setting since 2013 which includes 2-year olds) through to Y2, i.e. across up to five years of learning. The global aim here is to have a common terms of reference, a continuity and consistency of practice but also encompassing a means to describe development throughout the school. At present these prompts are used to set parameters for the independent learning sections of the timetable but the intention is to refine them into a set which can be applied to those activities/'subjects' which are conventionally thought to be teacher-led and to contain more transmission-style pedagogies. The key discussion here will be around how children get ownership of sessions where phonics, literacy or mathematics are more directly taught.
Prompts Child-initiated:
* Does the child start the activity:
o when they decide to?
o in the way they decide to?
o with the resources they choose?
* Is the activity a lone action or undertaken jointly with another child/other children? If with others is there an expressed intention?
Play(ful):
* Does the activity involve spontaneity / creativity (as opposed to a script/formula)?
* Does the activity involve role-playing on the part of the participant/s?
* Does the activity have 'flow'?

Independence/autonomy:
* Does the child seek:
o adult support
o adult approval
o adult evaluation

Owned by child:
* Does the child continue to regulate the activity entirely independently?
* Is the child unconscious of other activity around them?
* Does the child decide when to end the activity?
* Does the child wish to create a record of the activity?
* Does the child return to the activity at another time?
* Does the activity involve more than one child? If yes, is there a hierarchy of influence / dominance and/or a joint construction/development?

Teacher-initiated:
* Does the teacher choose / set up / suggest the activity?
* Does the teacher choose / suggest the resources / location?
* Does the teacher direct / intervene?
* Does the teacher 'play' / 'work' in parallel?
* Does the teacher evaluate the activity?

Direct Teaching:
* Is there a need for direct teaching to the whole class / a group / an individual?
* Is the teaching of content or a skill?
* Is the teaching designed to precede major activity undertaken by learners?
* Is the teaching a spontaneous episode prompted by adult observation or learner questioning?
* Is the direct teaching teacher-led (eg an explanation) or dialogic (eg an exploratory discussion)?

It would be great to hear of your thoughts and experiences relating these questions of continuity and integrated pedagogies. Please do leave us a comment.

References:
DfE (2017) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2017/03/EYFS_STATUTORY_FRAMEWORK_2017.pdf accessed 11/12/20
Hood, P. (2013) The development of high-quality interaction and thinking alongside the extension of child-initiated learning into Key Stage One: a whole school initiative, Early Child Development and Care, 183:8, 1181-1196

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Foundation for What? Issues in EYFS continuity and an integrated pedagogy for KS1 - Primary Education Network

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In this post, Philip Hood and Joanna Redfern reflect on a journey towards continuity between EYFS and KS1 across two linked C of E Infant schools and offer a model for an integrated pedagogical response. The problem of continuity This 'learning journey' spans several years.

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Modelling Instruction: I Do, We Do, You Do

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Modelling Instruction: I Do, We Do, You Do

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https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2019/02/10/i-do-we-do-you-do/

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@TeacherToolkit
Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2010, and today, he is one of the 'most followed educators'on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the '500 Most Influential People in Britain' by The Sunday Times as a result of...
Read more about @TeacherToolkit
How do you scaffold teacher-instruction in the classroom?

For years I have firmly believed that the most effective teachers 'model' the work being asked of their pupils. Professor Barak Rosenshine's 40 years of teaching and learning research supports my experiences. This post offers a summary of the research and what this technique looks like in the classroom.

In this post, I'd like to remind readers of Rosenshine's 17 Principles for Effective Instruction and articulate in this two-minute read, how teachers can model success criteria - one of the recommendations. Finding reliable ways to ensure students meet and

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How Do You Scaffold Teacher-Instruction In The Classroom? by @TeacherToolkit

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Finding ways to get students to meet and master lesson objectives is tough. Why not give the 'I Do, We Do, You Do' mantra a trial in your classroom?

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Observational Learning Through Teacher Modelling

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Observational Learning Through Teacher Modelling

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http://www.chaucer.sheffield.sch.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=47&type=pdf

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https://www.sulivanprimaryschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Geography-Curriculum-Map-.pdf

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https://www.sulivanprimaryschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/History-Curriculum-Map.pdf

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Vosniadou, S. (2001). How Children Learn. Educational Practices Series 1-7. Brussels: International Academy of Education and International Bureau of Education

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Vosniadou, S. (2001). How Children Learn. Educational Practices Series 1-7. Brussels: International Academy of Education and International Bureau of Education

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http://www.ibe.unesco.org/sites/default/files/resources/edu-practices_07_eng.pdf

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Quigley, A., Muijs, D. and Stringer, E. (2018). Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning. London: EEF

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Quigley, A., Muijs, D. and Stringer, E. (2018). Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning. London: EEF

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https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Metacognition/EEF_Metacognition_and_self-regulated_learning.pdf

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https://www.natre.org.uk/about-re/about-re/

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'All children need to acquire core knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and practices of the religions and worldviews which not only shape their history and culture but which guide their own development. The modern world needs young people who are sufficiently confident in their own beliefs and values that they can respect the religious and cultural differences of others, and contribute to a cohesive and compassionate society.'

(The Right Hon, Michael Gove, former Secretary of State for Education, 2013 RE Review and new 'non-statutory' National Curriculum Framework for RE)

The RE curriculum is locally determined by each Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE), which is responsible for producing its local Agreed Syllabus for RE. Maintained schools and many voluntary controlled schools who do not have academy status are required to follow their locally Agreed Syllabus and many academies and free schools choose to do so.

Academies and free schools are contractually required by the terms of their funding agreements to make provision for the teaching of RE. Different requirements apply to schools with a religious character (further details can be found in the legal requirements section). Members of NATRE and RE Today are working to support new types of school, including teaching schools, in offering a first-rate RE Curriculum.

The new National Curriculum is designed to be 'knowledge based' and to allow teachers more freedom. A new non-statutory Curriculum Framework for RE in England was developed by the RE Council for England and Wales (REC) in order to bring RE into line with these national developments.

The non-statutory Curriculum Framework for Religious Education in England is a document designed to guide Local Authority SACREs, academies, free schools, providers of RE in schools with a religious character and governing bodies. The section that follows explores the aims and purpose of RE in meeting the needs of 21s-century education, using the new non-statutory National Curriculum Framework for RE.

A Curriculum Framework for Religious Education in England (REC 2013)

Purpose

Religious Education contributes dynamically to children and young people's education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. In RE they learn about and from religions and worldviews in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. They learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully.

Teaching therefore should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities. It should develop in pupils an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society with its diverse religions and worldviews. Pupils should gain and deploy the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence.

Pupils learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ.

Aims

The curriculum for RE aims to ensure that all pupils:

A. Know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

* describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within and between communities and amongst individuals;

* identify, investigate and respond to questions posed, and responses offered by some of the sources of wisdom* found in religions and worldviews;

* appreciate and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

B. Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

* explain reasonably their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities;

* express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues;

* appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion or a worldview.

C. Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews, so that they can:

* find out about and investigate key concepts and questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, responding creatively;

* enquire into what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all;

* articulate beliefs, values and commitments clearly in order to explain why they may be important in their own and other people's lives.

NOTES

* The sources of wisdom found in religions and worldviews will include the key texts, the teachings of key leaders, and key thinkers from different traditions and communities. Examples include the Bible, the Torah and the Bhagavad Gita; the Buddha, Jesus Christ, the Prophet Muhammad, Guru Nanak and humanist philosophers. Other sources of wisdom might come from texts, thinkers, leaders and scientists in the contemporary world as well as from experience and informed personal reflection and conscience.

RE in the school curriculum

RE is a statutory subject of the school curriculum of maintained schools. Academies and free schools are contractually required through the terms of their funding to make provision for the teaching of RE to all pupils on the school roll. Alongside the subject's contribution to pupils' mental, cognitive and linguistic development, RE offers distinctive opportunities to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. RE lessons should offer a structured and safe space during curriculum time for reflection, discussion, dialogue and debate. Lessons should also allow for timely and sensitive responses to be made to unforeseen events of a religious, moral or philosophical nature, whether local, national or global.

The breadth of RE

The law requires that local authority RE agreed syllabuses and RE syllabuses used in academies that are not designated with a religious character 'must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain'. This means that from the ages of 5 to 19 pupils in schools* learn about diverse religions and worldviews, including Christianity and the other principal religions. Some schools with a religious character will prioritise learning about and from one religion, but all types of school need to recognise the diversity of the UK and the importance of learning about its religions and worldviews, including those with a significant local presence.

NOTES

*Except those withdrawn by their parents (or by themselves if aged over 18)

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'All children need to acquire core knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and practices of the religions and worldviews which not only shape their history and culture but which guide their own development.

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https://geognc.wordpress.com/

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https://www.geography.org.uk/Planning-a-high-quality-primary-geography-curriculum

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'A high quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.'
DfE (2013)

What is geography?

Geography is a subject packed with excitement and dynamism that synthesises aspects of the world and helps us to better understand its people, places and environments, and the interactions between them. Geography also helps us understand how and why places are changing, and to better imagine, predict and work towards, likely and preferred futures. Underpinning all of this is a strong spatial component that deepens our understanding of what places are like, why and how they are connected, and the importance of location.

Geography It is an enquiry led subject that seeks answers to fundamental questions such as:

Where is this place?

What is it like? (And why?)

How and why is it changing?

How does this place compare with other places?

How and why are places connected?

It is also imperative that a geographer doesn't just answer questions but also asks and debates them:

What could/should the world be like in the future?

What can we do to influence change?

Geography draws on its vast range of vocabulary to identify and name places, the features within them and the human and physical processes at work there. Such core knowledge provides the building blocks of deeper explanation and understanding; providing entry points to geographical conversations about the world.

Geography is more than just core knowledge. Places are dynamic and often space is perceived, used and contested by people in many different ways. Geography seeks to understand how different views, values and perspectives influence and affect places and environments at different scales. It helps explain why places are changing, how they are interconnected and why patterns of inequality exist at both local and global scales.

Geography deals with the 'here and 'now' of real life and as such, is a vital 'living' subject that contributes to and enhances the wider curriculum. Although geography can be taught alone, it also offers meaningful contexts for high- quality cross - curricular work, as noted by Ofsted:
"The effectiveness of leadership and management in geography is outstanding. Geography is given a high profile across the school and forms a large part of the creative curriculum. ... 'It's the glue that holds the curriculum together."
OFSTED 2013

2014 EYFS framework

The building blocks of all learning are first observed, recognised, examined and 'played' with, if not arranged, from an early age.
'Early years providers must guide the development of children's capabilities with a view to ensuring that children in their care complete the EYFS ready to benefit fully from the opportunities ahead of them.'
DfE (2014)

Enabling pupils to take on the role of a geographer: exploring, discovering and beginning to make sense of the world around them is an important consideration when planning for the seven areas of inter-connected learning and development that make up the EYFS framework.

In particular the area entitled 'Understanding the world' presents the opportunity for pupils to reflect on the events and routines that they and their peers experience. They should be given the opportunity to formulate questions to investigate the similarities and differences that exist and be encouraged to discuss these with interest and sensitivity.

Through role-play the children can learn experientially about the different environments that different professions operate in and explain why some things happen the way they do in both the physical and human world.

Geography forms part of the statutory primary national curriculum and must be taught in all local-authority-maintained primary schools in England; this does not include academies or free schools.

The 'Purpose of Study' and the 'Aims' (p187) explain succinctly the philosophy that should be at the heart of geography teaching and learning at primary level.

The National Curriculum's areas of knowledge, understanding and skills describe geography's richness, scope and potential very well. Fieldwork is a mainstay in the education of a geographer and is specifically identified in the curriculum document as an activity that deepens understanding. Each school has a unique environmental and social context whose investigation and exploration can open a window to the wider world and the complexities it holds.

The 'Subject content' for key stages 1-2 sets out the skeletal aspects of knowledge that need to be covered, although how this is used and how it is put together is very much up to individual schools. Guidance on the creative act of interpreting a curriculum specification or scheme of work and turning it into a coherent, challenging, engaging and enjoyable scheme of work can be found on this curriculum making page.

This allows schools to develop their own schemes of work reflecting the aforementioned unique opportunities available. This 'core' knowledge provides pupils with sufficient vocabulary and understanding to begin to engage in meaningful and relevant dialogue. It is a starting point for conversations about our world but will need to be augmented with other 'stories' about places to keep the geography relevant, contemporary and anchored in the real life experiences of the pupils.

Enquiry is a key approach in geography and pupils should be learning aspects of core knowledge in relevant contexts, as stated in the 'Aims'. The importance of using real places, real experiences and real issues to make the geography 'come alive' cannot be understated. Although written for secondary school teachers in mind the opening chapters of Geography Through Enquiry by Margaret Roberts clearly extols the value an enquiry led approach to learning.

Communicating knowledge, skills and understanding

Pupils need to learn how to communicate geographical information in a variety of ways. Geography is a subject that can be communicated through drama, film, photographs, digital maps and other digital media such as blogs and tweets, as well as more traditional communication techniques including diagrams, sketches and hand-drawn maps. With an emphasis across the broader National Curriculum being on developing literacy skills, geography can benefit from the opportunity to provide the 'subject' or 'stimulus' for a wide range of extended writing opportunities. Schools where successful and engaging learning takes place have of course always done this, whilst maintaining a high level of rigour within the discrete subject areas.

The GA has produced a primary curriculum guidance poster ' Geography: A place in your curriculum ' provides support for teaching the geography Programmes of Study. It can be purchased for £4.99 or is free to new members. On the reverse of this attractive A1 poster featuring images and key words from the world of geography there are eight A4 panels give advice and guidance on how to teach key aspects of the primary curriculum:

Teaching about... where places are

Teaching about... maps

Teaching about... where we live

Teaching about... physical geography

These guidance sheets provide teaching activities and further ideas of how to develop effective practice and high quality geography in your classroom.

You may find this Geography Expert Subject Advisory Group website useful. It contains the work of a group of experts and practitioners to help teachers and teacher educators interpret the 2014 National Curriculum Framework.
'Geography teaching and learning should be an enjoyable, creative, stimulating and magical experience for pupils and teachers alike.'
Planning the curriculum, Paula Richardson, Ch22 Primary Geography Handbook. (2010)

Geography enables children to make sense of their world. However, a geography education must encompass more than this. It must provide opportunities which have a transformational effect on a pupils perception of themselves and their relationship with learning. It must enable students to develop a connection and understanding of the world and their place within it.

The National Curriculum sets out 'the core knowledge and understanding that all pupils should be expected to acquire in the course of their schooling', but a core curriculum is not all that students should be taught. A local and personalised element to the curriculum is essential to ensure that pupils are engaged with innovative and enjoyable learning that has relevance to their lives and work while challenging them to think about 'real world' issue.

A high quality geography education enables a geographer to be able to:

draw on a skills set to measure and interpret

have fluent specialist knowledge

organise their learning and know the next steps, metacognition.

The National Curriculum is like an umbrella which overlays these key requirements, setting out what elements have to be covered by law but the cornerstone is that school's make the most of their unique setting to create relevance and engagement.

This is summarised by the diagram below:

Many of the 'memorable moments' of a child's primary school education come from the first-hand, hands-on experiences of being a geographer. The inclusion of fieldwork is an essential element that enables pupils to connect with a place, community or environment and it doesn't even have to be beyond walking distance.
'The school locality is a rich resource for geographical enquiry. It is accessible for fieldwork, can be studied in a great variety of ways and helps pupils to develop a sense of their place.'
Using the school locality, Angela Milner and Terry Jewson, Ch13 Primary Geography Handbook. (2010)

While Nick Lapthorn and Kate Lewis explore the rich potential of fieldwork in the school grounds in the Spring 2016 edition of Primary Geography and unpick what the skills that are developed actually are.

Only when something is viewed from different perspectives can the pupils co-construct new learning and form a deeper connection with the world we live in and strive to become a global citizen.

The diagram below shows the relationship between the subject core as formed by the National Curriculum and the actual curriculum taught in two different schools. As can be seen the divergence can be a large one in terms of coverage but the learning, understanding and skills acquired should run parallel.

The main function of the Programmes of Study for geography is to guide teachers in the selection of what to teach: they do not provide guidance on how to teach. For example, they make no reference to enquiry learning approaches, which are widely recognised as effective in geography. Values, attitudes and pupil capabilities (competences) are similarly omitted.

Primary curriculum CPD

The following online GA CPD courses for primary geography teachers and teachers of geography offer expert advice and inspirational teaching ideas:
My Place, Your Place, Our Place
What do sustainability and community cohesion really mean for learners in primary education? This family of courses explores the relationships between identity and place by drawing on some key geographical processes and understanding.
Geography and the Global Dimension
This course looks at geography's contribution to learning about the global dimension. In many ways we might expect geography to be at the core of any work that includes a global dimension because human geography is all about people and places and how we live in the world today.
Young Geographers Go Local
This course is focused on helping children explore their own personal geographies in a local context.
Young Geographers Go Global
Helping children to develop their visual literacy by encouraging them to 'read' images of children in other places.
Young Geographers Go Green
What role does geography play in enabling the sustainable agenda in schools to be encountered, developed and enacted?
Curriculum content >>>

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Planning a high quality primary geography curriculum

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'A high quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.' DfE (2013) What is geography? Geography is a subject packed with excitement and dynamism that synthesises aspects of the world and helps us to better understand its people, places and environments, and the interactions between them.

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https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-review-series-history/research-review-series-history

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The study of history can bring pupils into a rich dialogue with the past and with the traditions of historical enquiry. The past and changing accounts of the past have shaped the identities of diverse people, groups and nations. Through history, pupils come to understand their place in the world, an…

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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-publishes-research-review-on-religious-education

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Ofsted has published the second in a series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum. This review looks at religious education (RE).

The latest review draws on our education inspection framework ( EIF) and other religious education ( RE) literature to identify what contributes to high-quality RE curriculum, assessment, pedagogy and systems in schools where we inspect RE.

The review recognises that there is no single way of constructing and teaching a high-quality RE curriculum. However, it does identify some common features:

The curriculum should cover substantive content and concepts collectively (or 'collectively enough'), rather than covering excessive amounts of content superficially. Content is sufficient for pupils to grasp a bigger picture about the place of religion and non-religion in the world.

What is taught and learned in RE is grounded in what is known about religion or non-religion from academic study. This helps prevent pupils from developing misconceptions about religion and non-religion.

Pupils study certain areas of the RE curriculum in depth and acquire a range of detailed knowledge of different concepts and ideas, which they remember long term. Drawing on this prior knowledge enables them to consider more complex ideas about religion. Leaders and teachers select this 'depth of study' from contrasting religious and/or non-religious traditions so that pupils avoid developing misrepresentations.

The curriculum is well sequenced to ensure that pupils learn the knowledge they need for later topics.

There is a consideration of when pupils should relate the content to their own personal knowledge (for example, their own prior assumptions).

How the curriculum is taught and assessed focuses pupils' attention squarely on the knowledge they need to learn.

Adequate curriculum time is given to RE, so that leaders can deliver an ambitious curriculum.

There is sufficient training and professional development so that teachers have appropriate subject professional knowledge.

The review refers to 3 different types of subject-specific knowledge that pupils learn in RE. Each of these is powerful and should not be confused with 'mere facts'. The first is 'substantive' knowledge about various religious and non-religious traditions. The second type is 'ways of knowing', where pupils learn 'how to know' about religion and non-religion. The third type is 'personal knowledge', where pupils build an awareness of their own presuppositions and values about what they study. The review suggests that improvement in RE at both primary and secondary level includes knowing more of these 'pillars of progression'. This prepares pupils to engage in a complex, multi-religious and multi-secular world.

In the spring term of 2022, we will be publishing a report on the quality of RE curriculums taught in schools. We will gather the evidence for this through subject 'deep dives' during inspections under the EIF.

To find out more about Ofsted's curriculum work, read the principles behind the research reviews and subject reports.

Thank you for your feedback

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Ofsted publishes research review on religious education

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Ofsted has published the second in a series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum. This review looks at religious education (RE).

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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-publishes-research-review-on-geography

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Ofsted has published the fifth in a series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum. The latest review looks at geography education.

Ofsted has published the fifth in a series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum. The latest review looks at geography education. It draws on our education inspection framework (EIF) and other literature to identify what contributes to a high-quality geography curriculum, as well as high-quality assessment, pedagogy and systems in schools.

The review discusses the context of geography teaching and uptake in English schools. The subject has had a relatively low status in primary schools and over time there has been a gradual decline in the amount of time spent studying geography in the classroom. This contrasts with secondary schools, where the number of pupils entering geography exams has increased significantly in the past decade, according to the review. Now, almost half of key stage 4 pupils study the subject.

Like other subjects, the review notes that knowledge in geography can be organised into two forms - 'substantive' and 'disciplinary'.

Disciplinary knowledge is used when pupils consider where geographical knowledge originates, and how they can learn the practices of geographers. Substantive knowledge sets out the content that pupils will learn. In geography, this has followed the split seen in the national curriculum:

locational knowledge

place knowledge

environmental, physical and human geography

geography skills and fieldwork

A successful geography curriculum reflects teachers' careful thinking and rationale behind what is taught, the sequencing of learning and the relationships between the forms of knowledge.

While Ofsted recognises that there is no single way of achieving a good geography education, the report identifies some common features of a high-quality curriculum. For example:

Teachers break down curriculum content into component parts and draw from the breadth of concepts to give pupils the knowledge they need to appreciate the wider subject. When choosing curriculum content, teachers consider pupils' prior knowledge and experiences.

Teachers recognise that building pupils' knowledge of locations, or 'where's where', helps them build their own identity and sense of place. Pupils develop an appreciation of distance and scale.

Pupils gain the knowledge they need to develop an increasingly complex understanding of place. This helps them make a connection between location and geographical processes and personal experience. For example, looking at their own route to school, town or city may lead to more conceptual understanding that they can draw on when looking at regional, national and global scales.

Fieldwork includes data collection, analysis and presentation. The experience of fieldwork draws together pupils' locational knowledge and that of human and physical processes. It should be practised regularly.

Pupils see that geography is a dynamic subject where thinking and viewpoints change. Teachers correct pupils' misconceptions through secure subject knowledge and effective teaching approaches.

Enquiry-based learning in geography can support the development of pupils' disciplinary knowledge. Through careful content selection and teacher guidance, it can increase pupils' capacity to recognise and ask geographical questions, to critique sources and reflect on what they have learned, as well as the methods used.

When using contemporary media coverage to engage and motivate pupils, teachers ensure that the geographical knowledge to be learned is always at the forefront of their teaching. Teachers check that any media content is geographically accurate.

Sufficient teaching time is allocated to cover the breadth of subject knowledge, and school leaders give careful thought to how geography is timetabled.

In 2022, Ofsted will be publishing a report on the quality of geography curriculums taught in schools. We will gather the evidence for this through subject 'deep dives' during inspections under the EIF.

To find out more about Ofsted's curriculum work, read the principles behind the research reviews and subject reports.

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Ofsted publishes research review on geography

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Ofsted has published the fifth in a series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum. The latest review looks at geography education.

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https://www.history.org.uk/primary/categories/lessons-exemplars

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Lessons & Exemplars / Primary / Historical Association

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The Nuffield Primary History project developed a range of approaches and techniques for doing history with children, between and 1991 and 2009. The resources produced by the project are all real lessons which have been taught by real teachers. They include guidance on teaching and examples of childr…

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EYFS Guidance for Understanding the World

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EYFS Guidance for Understanding the World

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https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/understanding-the-world

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Access resources, activity ideas and advice for teaching understanding the world to early years children.

Understanding the world resources

Resources are split into 3 areas based on the educational programmes:
Personal experiences Diverse world Widening vocabulary
These resources will help you when reviewing your current curriculum to make sure you are meeting the requirement of the revised understanding the world area of learning.

As you make changes to your curriculum consider what you want children to learn first and plan opportunities for them to achieve this.

What the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework says about understanding the world

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community.

The frequency and range of children's personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them - from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters.

In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world.

As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains.

Enriching and widening children's vocabulary will support later reading comprehension.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Access resources, activity ideas and advice for teaching understanding the world to early years children. Resources are split into 3 areas based on the educational programmes: Personal experiences Diverse world Widening vocabulary These resources will help you when reviewing your current curriculum to make sure you are meeting the requirement of the revised understanding the world area of learning.