Geography at KWPS

What Geography Looks Like at KWPS

EYFS:
In EYFS, Geography is taught through play, exploration, stories and discussion as part of Understanding the World. Children learn about their immediate environment, seasonal change, routes, maps and differences between places. Learning is recorded through observations and class floor books, with a strong focus on developing language to describe the world around them.

KS1 & KS2:
Geography is taught through carefully sequenced units across the year, using enquiry-based lessons, discussion, map work, fieldwork, research and practical activities. Lessons build progressively from local geography to national and global studies, ensuring children develop strong locational knowledge, place understanding and geographical skills.

Enrichment:
Geography is enriched through local fieldwork, visits (e.g. Kirkham, Preston, Blackpool, rivers and local landmarks), themed geography days and cross-curricular projects. These experiences help children apply classroom learning to real-world contexts.

Assemblies:
Assemblies support geographical understanding through global awareness, environmental themes, sustainability, climate issues and world events.

Cross-curricular links:
Geography is strongly linked with:

  • Science (climate, habitats, ecosystems)

  • Maths (data, scale, coordinates)

  • English (research, explanation and report writing)

  • Computing (digital mapping, data handling)

  • History (settlements, trade, migration)

Inclusive practice:
All pupils access the Geography curriculum. Learning is adapted to meet individual needs through scaffolding, vocabulary support, visuals and adult guidance. Cultural diversity and different lived experiences are reflected sensitively across all units.

The Intent of our Geography Curriculum

At Kirkham & Wesham Primary School, Geography is an integral part of our curriculum and aims to develop children’s curiosity and fascination about the world they live in.

Our curriculum is designed so that children:

  • Start with the familiar (their school, local area and Kirkham, Preston)

  • Gradually build outwards to understand the UK, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the wider world

  • Understand how human and physical geography interact

  • Develop a strong sense of place and global responsibility

Progression of geographical knowledge, skills and vocabulary is carefully mapped to ensure learning builds year on year, allowing children to make meaningful connections between prior and new knowledge.

The Implementation of our Geography Curriculum

Our Geography curriculum follows the National Curriculum and is structured around three key strands, which are revisited and deepened across the school:

Location Knowledge

Children learn to locate and name:

  • Continents, oceans, countries and capital cities

  • Regions of the UK and world

  • Lines of latitude and longitude, hemispheres and time zones

Place Knowledge

Children explore similarities and differences between places by studying:

  • Local areas (school, Kirkham, Lancashire)

  • Contrasting UK regions

  • European and non-European regions

  • Human and physical features and how people live in different environments

Geographical Skills & Fieldwork

Children progressively develop skills including:

  • Using maps, atlases, globes and digital mapping

  • Compass directions and grid references

  • Interpreting aerial photographs

  • Conducting fieldwork and presenting findings

  • Using geographical vocabulary accurately

Key technical vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited across units, allowing children to build a rich and secure geographical language bank.

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The Impact of our Geography Curriculum

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils at KWPS will:

✔ Know the location and key characteristics of countries and regions studied
✔ Understand how physical geography influences human activity
✔ Confidently use maps, atlases and geographical tools
✔ Apply enquiry skills to investigate real-world issues
✔ Use accurate geographical vocabulary to explain ideas
✔ Show curiosity, respect and responsibility towards the world around them

Ultimately, our Geography curriculum prepares children to become informed, thoughtful and responsible global citizens.

National Curriculum Aims for Geography

The National Curriculum requires pupils to:

  • Develop locational and place knowledge

  • Understand physical and human geographical processes

  • Use geographical skills including fieldwork and mapping

  • Communicate findings using appropriate vocabulary

These aims are fully embedded within our New Geography curriculum and progression model at KWPS ready for Autumn 2026.

Geography

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