Intent
At St John & St James, we want our pupils to develop a curiosity about the world and an understanding of their place within it. Our geography curriculum encourages children to explore the relationships between people, places and environments, developing the knowledge and skills to become informed, responsible global citizens.
From the Early Years onwards, our curriculum is organised around five key themes: Location, Place, Human Geography, Physical Geography and Sustainability. These themes are revisited and developed progressively, enabling pupils to build a connected understanding of the world, appreciate its diversity and consider their responsibility towards its future.
Implementation
Early Years
Geography begins in the Early Years through Understanding the World. Children explore familiar places, their local environment and the wider world through stories, seasonal changes, observations and first-hand experiences. They begin to use simple geographical language, recognise similarities and differences between places and develop an early understanding of caring for the environment.
Key Stage 1 & 2
Our geography curriculum is carefully sequenced to build knowledge and skills progressively, in line with the National Curriculum. Through the five key themes, pupils explore local, national and global environments, developing an understanding of physical and human processes and the connections between them.
Children study diverse locations, including Hackney, Nigeria, Haiti, the Amazon, Italy, China and Indonesia. They investigate geographical features and processes such as climate, rivers, mountains, volcanoes, population, settlement and trade, while exploring issues including climate change, deforestation, pollution and sustainable tourism.
As pupils progress through the school, they develop their geographical vocabulary and increasingly sophisticated mapping, observational, data collection and analytical skills. They learn to use atlases, globes, digital mapping and Ordnance Survey maps, progressing from simple compass directions and maps to grid references, scale and interpreting geographical data.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is an integral part of our geography curriculum, enabling pupils to connect classroom learning with the world around them. Beginning with observations and local walks in the Early Years, children progressively develop the skills to plan, conduct and evaluate geographical enquiries.
Through exploring our local area, pupils observe human and physical features, investigate land use, conduct surveys and interviews, collect and present data, and draw conclusions about their findings. As they move through the school, they use digital mapping, compass directions, grid references, sketch maps and increasingly sophisticated methods of data presentation.
Our local area provides a rich context for geographical enquiry, helping pupils understand how places change, how people interact with their environment and how communities can become more sustainable.
Geography Knowledge & Skills Progression
Our Geography Knowledge and Skills Progression Overview sets out the knowledge and geographical skills pupils develop from Nursery to Year 6. Organised around our five curriculum themes, it demonstrates how learning progresses each year, ensuring pupils revisit key concepts, deepen their understanding and develop the skills needed to think and work like geographers.
