Geography
Overview
Our geography curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop children’s geographical knowledge, skills and understanding over time. It provides a coherent journey that builds learning step-by-step, ensuring children develop a secure and connected understanding of the world.
Geographical locations are chosen to give children a broad and diverse understanding of the world, helping them to explore different places, environments and cultures beyond their immediate experience.
Where possible, meaningful links are made with other subjects. For example, children revisit their understanding of settlements in the history project School Days after studying settlement types in the geography project Bright Lights, Big City. This strengthens children’s understanding and helps them make connections across their learning.
Geography is taught in the autumn and spring terms, with opportunities to revisit and strengthen key concepts in the summer term where needed. Throughout the curriculum, children develop their understanding of key geographical concepts such as place, space, scale, environment and interconnection, alongside building subject-specific vocabulary.
Children are supported to learn through a range of approaches, including fieldwork, map work, enquiry-based learning and the use of atlases and digital mapping tools, ensuring learning is practical, engaging and meaningful.
Key Stage 1
In Key Stage 1, children begin by developing essential geographical skills and knowledge.
Each autumn term starts with a foundational project (Our Wonderful World in Year 1 and Let’s Explore the World in Year 2). These projects introduce and revisit key concepts, vocabulary and skills, preparing children for more in-depth learning. Children begin to use simple maps, identify physical and human features and develop their understanding of the world around them.
In the spring term:
- In Year 1, children study Bright Lights, Big City, where they learn about urban environments and explore the human and physical features of the United Kingdom.
- In Year 2, children study Coastline, where they learn about coastal environments and take part in fieldwork to deepen their understanding.
Lower Key Stage 2
In Lower Key Stage 2, children continue to build on their geographical knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of key concepts.
Each autumn term begins with essential skills and knowledge projects (One Planet, Our World in Year 3 and Interconnected World in Year 4). These projects strengthen children’s understanding of key geographical ideas and prepare them for more thematic learning. Children develop their use of maps, atlases and fieldwork techniques, and begin to explain geographical processes and patterns.
In the spring term:
- In Year 3, children study Rocks, Relics and Rumbles, exploring physical features and geographical processes such as earthquakes and volcanoes.
- In Year 4, children study mountains and rivers, developing their understanding of physical geography and taking part in fieldwork to apply their learning.
Children are increasingly encouraged to ask questions, interpret data and explain their understanding using appropriate geographical vocabulary.
Upper Key Stage 2
In Upper Key Stage 2, children further develop their geographical knowledge, skills and understanding, building independence and depth in their learning.
Each autumn term begins with essential skills and knowledge projects (Investigating Our World in Year 5 and Our Changing World in Year 6), which prepare children for more complex geographical study. Children refine their ability to analyse information, draw conclusions and understand global connections.
In the spring term:
- In Year 5, children study Sow, Grow and Farm, exploring farming, agriculture and land use.
- In Year 6, children study Frozen Kingdoms, focusing on the polar regions and exploring environmental issues and global challenges.
Children apply their knowledge through fieldwork, enquiry and discussion, developing a deeper understanding of how the world is changing and the impact of human activity.
Impact
By the time children leave St Paul’s, they have developed:
- A strong understanding of places and environments at a local, national and global level
- Secure knowledge of human and physical geography
- Confidence in using maps, atlases and fieldwork skills
- The ability to make connections and understand how the world is changing
Children can:
- Explain key geographical processes such as rivers, mountains, earthquakes and climate
- Compare different locations and understand similarities and differences
- Use geographical vocabulary accurately and confidently
- Interpret maps, data and information to draw conclusions
Children build and retain knowledge over time, revisiting key concepts so that learning is embedded, progressive and connected.
Children leave us with a sense of curiosity, responsibility and awareness of the wider world, ready for the next stage of their education.