Intent

At our school, our geography curriculum is designed to be ambitious, well‑sequenced and accessible to every child. From the Early Years through to Year 6, we build pupils’ understanding of the world step by step so that knowledge is secure, meaningful and connected.

Our curriculum develops:

1. Space and Place

Children learn where places are, what they are like, and what makes them special. They develop a sense of identity, starting with their own community and gradually exploring places further afield.

2. Physical Processes

Pupils learn about natural features and processes that shape our planet, such as weather, climate, rivers, coastlines and volcanoes.

3. Human Processes

Children explore how people live, work and interact with their environment, including population, settlement, land use and economic activity.

Across the curriculum, pupils develop:

• Secure substantive knowledge (the facts and concepts of geography)
• Strong disciplinary knowledge (how geographers investigate and think about the world)
• Accurate subject vocabulary that enables them to explain their ideas clearly
• A balanced and realistic understanding of countries and cultures, avoiding stereotypes
• Cultural capital, giving children experiences and knowledge beyond their everyday lives

Our geography curriculum begins in the Early Years through the Understanding the World strand, which lays the essential foundations for geographical thinking. In the EYFS, children learn to:

• Notice, explore and describe their immediate environment, including the indoor and outdoor spaces in school and their local community.
• Develop early spatial understanding, such as using positional and directional language (e.g., next to, behind, near, far) and recognising simple features of maps, plans, or representations.
• Observe natural and human‑made features, discussing what they see, how places differ, and how environments change across seasons or due to human activity.
• Build a sense of place and belonging, recognising familiar places and talking about significant people, routes, and landmarks in their lives.
• Compare places and environments, developing early awareness of similarities and differences between where they live and places represented in stories, images, and videos.
• Develop respect and curiosity about the natural world, laying a foundation for environmental awareness and responsibility.

These EYFS experiences form the earliest layer of the vertical concepts (Space and Place, Physical Processes, Human Processes) and prepare children for the more formal disciplinary and substantive knowledge taught from Key Stage 1 onwards.

Implementation

Our curriculum is designed with clear progression so that learning is revisited and deepened over time.

We ensure effective teaching of geography by:

• Building learning in logical steps
– For example, map skills begin in EYFS with exploring simple representations
– In KS1, pupils learn basic directional language
– In KS2, they progress to using symbols, keys and grid references on Ordnance Survey maps

• Making deliberate links through vertical concepts (Space and Place, Physical Processes, Human Processes) so pupils connect new learning to existing knowledge

• Providing opportunities for high‑quality, purposeful writing, where children learn to “write like a geographer”
– e.g., explaining whether they would live near a volcano after learning about hazards and benefits

• Developing disciplinary knowledge through enquiry, questioning, and decision‑making
– e.g., Why do people migrate? How does a river change from source to mouth?

• Offering rich fieldwork experiences
– In EYFS: simple explorations of the school grounds
– In KS1: observing and recording features of the local area
– In KS2: collecting data, interpreting maps and carrying out geographical investigations

Through this approach, children gain the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to make sense of the world around them and to move confidently into the next stage of their education.

Impact

Our geography curriculum is designed so that pupils build their knowledge step by step over time. Because the learning is carefully sequenced, progress means pupils are keeping up with the curriculum. To ensure this happens, teachers use ongoing assessment that focuses on what children know, remember and can do.

We check pupils’ understanding in several ways:

1. Questioning during lessons

Teachers ask carefully planned questions to check what pupils have understood. This helps them spot any gaps or misconceptions so they can address these straight away.

2. Pupil discussions and book looks

Subject leaders and senior leaders talk to pupils about their learning. Children are asked to explain:

·         key geographical facts (substantive knowledge)

·         how geographers think, ask questions and investigate (disciplinary knowledge)

·         how their learning connects to the big ideas they have met in previous years

For example, a Year 4 pupil may explain how the tropical rainforest biome compares to hot and cold deserts, and how humans affect these environments through activities such as deforestation or migration.

 3. Post‑learning quizzes (end of unit)

At the end of each unit, pupils complete a short quiz. These quizzes check what pupils can recall and help teachers identify any remaining gaps. Questions focus on core knowledge, such as:

• naming key places or features
• using map skills
• identifying the causes of flooding
• explaining the effects of an earthquake

 4. Pre‑learning quizzes (start of unit)

Before each new unit, pupils take a simple quiz to check whether they can remember the knowledge needed for the new content. This helps teachers plan any quick catch‑up sessions.

For example, before Year 6 begin a unit on improving the environment, teachers assess pupils’ recall of:

• the effects of climate change
• the impact of using non‑renewable energy

Teachers can then ensure pupils are ready to learn about renewable energy and ways to reduce the impact of climate change.

Through this approach, pupils:

• know more and remember more over time
• build strong foundations for future learning in geography
• become confident, curious learners who can make sense of the world around them

Through this approach, pupils:

• know more and remember more over time
• build strong foundations for future learning in geography
• become confident, curious learners who can make sense of the world around them

This ensures that every child is well prepared for the next stage of their education.

International Artist Day 

The whole school took part in celebrating International Artists Day. Each class were given a different artist from acrss the globe to celebrate the unique artwork and culture that shone through their work. This is proudly displayed in our gallery for all to see and appreciate.