Mr. Astle leads Geography throughout school.

“Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future.” — Michael Palin

In primary school, geography helps children understand the world around them and their place within it. Through exploring places, environments, and cultures, pupils develop curiosity, respect for others, and a sense of responsibility for the planet. These skills encourage children to think globally, act thoughtfully, and better understand the connections between people and places.

Mr. Astle

Geography Curriculum

Geography is delivered with the locality of Euxton at the heart of our tailored curriculum, enabling children to develop a strong sense of place in line with the National Curriculum. Geographical knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced and progressively built from EYFS through to Year 6. Our ambitious curriculum evolves to reflect the current climate and global context, with case studies that are fluid and adaptable. This supports children in understanding current affairs, encourages open debate and develops their ability to think critically about the world around them.

From the earliest years, children are encouraged to ask questions, investigate their surroundings and develop geographical enquiry skills, as outlined in the National Curriculum. Geography at our school is relevant, engaging and specific to our community, while also providing the foundations to explore and compare other localities across the globe. This strong sense of place enables children to understand physical and human geography, recognise similarities and differences between regions, and develop respect, tolerance and curiosity about other cultures. Through this, children begin to understand their role as responsible global citizens and stewards of the world.

Geography is taught discretely, with a clear vision of geography as a ‘science of the world’. This allows children to objectively explore, analyse and compare places using a wide range of geographical data, including maps, atlases, graphs, infographics and photographs. Children develop confidence in using appropriate geographical vocabulary and applying their knowledge to interpret physical and human patterns over time, meeting the aims of the National Curriculum.

From EYFS onwards, children are taught to acquire fieldwork skills, observe their environment and record findings in an objective as well as empathetic way. Opportunities woven throughout the curriculum enable children to appreciate diverse cultures and perspectives. Our learning encourages children to consider different viewpoints, for example by objectively exploring the reasons for and against settlement in particular locations. This is strengthened through strong links with history, where children study migration and movement, and through religious education, including visits to places of worship.

Children are encouraged to observe and explain physical and human geographical patterns, developing an understanding of how people interact with their environment and how this has changed over time. This supports children in understanding democracy, respect and opportunity both in the UK and globally, and enables them to make meaningful comparisons between different geographical regions.

Practical learning outside the classroom plays a vital role in developing children’s geographical understanding. Through regular fieldwork opportunities, children build confidence in using equipment, working across a range of terrains and in varying weather conditions, while developing resilience and teamwork. We make extensive use of our local environment, with frequent trips across all year groups. EYFS explore the school grounds and local area; Year 3 visit our woodland; Year 5 undertake a study visit to Blackpool; and Year 6 explore Buckshaw Village and complete a river study. These experiences bring geography to life and ensure children meet the National Curriculum requirement to use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features of their local area and beyond.

Knowledge

 The geography curriculum is structured around the four main areas identified in the National Curriculum for Geography:

• Locational knowledge

• Place knowledge

• Human and physical geography

• Geographical skills and fieldwork

For each unit of work, the substantive and disciplinary knowledge to be taught has been clearly identified and mapped through a Key Knowledge document. This supports curriculum planning, progression and assessment. Substantive knowledge provides children with the core facts, concepts and vocabulary needed to understand the world, while disciplinary knowledge focuses on being a geographer — developing the skills required to ask questions, investigate, analyse evidence and draw conclusions. These skills include fieldwork, data analysis, observation and discussion. Our curriculum is designed to ensure a strong balance of both types of knowledge across all year groups.

To ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum and maintain high standards, a National Curriculum audit is regularly consulted. This is particularly valuable as our curriculum allows for flexibility and creativity in the choice of case studies; the audit ensures learning objectives remain firmly anchored to statutory expectations.

Locational knowledge is developed progressively throughout the school. In Year 1, children learn the names and locations of the world’s continents and oceans. In Year 2, learning zooms into the United Kingdom, building familiarity with countries, capital cities and surrounding seas. Throughout Key Stage 2, children extend their locational knowledge to include Europe and other areas of the world, including North and South America. Europe is introduced through regional groupings, which are carefully aligned with the case studies studied each year. This structured approach enables children to acquire and retain knowledge in a meaningful and coherent way. Maps are used frequently across the curriculum, and regular retrieval activities support automaticity and long-term retention of locational knowledge.

Place knowledge, alongside human and physical geography, is taught through engaging and relevant case studies. Children use maps, graphs, photographs and other data sources to follow an enquiry-based approach to learning. From the earliest stages, children are taught that the physical and human worlds are interconnected. They explore physical processes and systems before considering human interaction and impact, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of global interdependence. This approach supports children in appreciating cultural diversity, recognising global inequalities and reflecting on their own actions and responsibilities.

Geographical skills and fieldwork are embedded throughout the curriculum and developed progressively. Fieldwork opportunities are introduced from an early age, enabling children to build a secure foundation of skills that are applied in increasingly sophisticated ways as they move through the school. This ensures children meet the National Curriculum expectation to use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present geographical features in the local area and beyond.

Key knowledge and understanding are revisited regularly across the key stages to strengthen retention and deepen understanding. At the start of each unit, children engage with activities designed to activate prior knowledge, often using images, diagrams and maps to make connections with previous learning. As children progress through the curriculum, case studies become more complex, enabling them to synthesise knowledge and skills. By the later stages of their learning, children are equipped to design and carry out their own geographical enquiries, demonstrating both substantive understanding and disciplinary competence.

Assessment

Progress in geography is monitored both within lessons and across sequences of learning. Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of individuals and classes, and assessment is used to inform future teaching and any necessary adjustments within a unit. Assessment is ongoing and takes place through observation, questioning, discussion and written work. Children receive regular verbal and written feedback to support their progress.

Learning opportunities include both collaborative and independent work. Children record their learning in topic books, which allow them to revisit prior learning within the year and strengthen retention and understanding over time.

A geography monitoring document provides all staff with a clear overview of the knowledge and skills taught in each unit. For every topic, the expected substantive and disciplinary knowledge is clearly identified. This forms a framework for assessment and enables teachers to evaluate each child’s understanding of the unit objectives. Assessment outcomes are recorded using brick wall statements and are stored in the Yellow Class Folder.

At the end of each academic year, class teachers make a final judgement for each child, which is recorded on an end-of-year brick wall and passed on to the next teacher. This ensures continuity and supports future planning by identifying strengths and any gaps in learning.

In addition, all teachers complete a RAG rating of the key areas of geography at the end of each academic year. Pupil voice is gathered through interviews with children across the school, and geography books are sampled throughout the year. This range of monitoring and assessment information is used to identify strengths and areas for development within the subject and informs subject leadership priorities and targets for the following year.

Key Priority 1:

To improve the quality of teaching and learning in Geography by embedding the oracy framework into curriculum planning and delivery. Ensure that classroom talk is intentionally planned, structured and scaffolded to support pupils in learning both to talk and through talk, thereby deepening their subject knowledge and understanding.

Key Priority 2:

Place locational knowledge at the heart of all geography lessons, allowing children the time to embed their knowledge of key countries and landmarks.

Key Priority 3:

To embed regular retrieval practices in geography lessons to strengthen children’s long-term memory of key concepts and vocabulary.

Enrichment opportunities:

EYFS-Seasonal Walks

Year 1-Giant Antarctica Map

Year 2-Tour of the UK day

Year 3-Rainforest Day & Volcano Day

Year 4-Earthquake Day

Year 5-Blackpool Fieldwork

Year 6-Buckshaw Village Fieldwork

Enrichment examples across the year groups