Geography Curriculum

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Geography at Our Lady & St Edward's Primary School!

Intent

Vision and Core Purpose

At Our Lady and St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, we aim to inspire a lifelong curiosity and fascination about our world and its people. We develop inquisitive, confident and knowledgeable geographers who ask questions, explore their surroundings and understand the connections between people, places and the environment.

Through our rich local environment, fieldwork/virtual fieldwork, maps and practical experiences, children develop the geographical knowledge, vocabulary and skills to explore, explain and communicate their understanding of the world.

Geography encourages children to become respectful, empathetic and responsible global citizens, developing an appreciation of diversity, sustainability and our shared responsibility for the world around us.

We believe every child can be a successful geographer. Our inclusive curriculum provides appropriate support, challenge and practical opportunities so that all children, including those with SEND and those experiencing disadvantage, can participate, succeed and develop confidence.

Our ambition is for every child to leave our school as a curious, confident and capable geographer, ready to make sense of the world and their place within it.

Implementation

Teaching Approach

Geography is taught progressively from EYFS to Year 6, following the National Curriculum and EYFS framework. Our teaching builds children’s knowledge and skills over time, developing their understanding of place, location, human and physical geography, and geographical skills and fieldwork.

In KS1 and KS2, we use the Oddizzi planning pathway to support our long-term curriculum, ensuring full National Curriculum coverage, strong vocabulary development and progression in mapwork and geographical skills. Each unit is built around an enquiry question, encouraging children to ask questions, investigate, make connections and apply their learning.

Our teaching is practical, engaging and rooted in real experiences. Children use maps, atlases, digital mapping, data, fieldwork/virtual fieldwork and first-hand observation to explore both their local area and the wider world. Our location provides rich opportunities for local fieldwork, including our school grounds, the River Mersey, Birkenhead Park and New Brighton.

Children are taught to use geographical vocabulary confidently and communicate their ideas through discussion, maps and written work. Knowledge organisers, high-quality resources from Oddizzi and digital tools such as Digimaps support learning and help children to retain and apply key knowledge.

We believe Geography should extend beyond the classroom. Visits, fieldwork and practical experiences enable children to see Geography in action and make meaningful connections between what they learn and the world around them.

Our inclusive approach ensures that all children, including those with SEND and those experiencing disadvantage, can access and succeed in Geography through appropriate scaffolding, visual and practical resources, vocabulary support, and carefully planned challenge.

Impact

How do we evaluate what the children have learned and remembered?

Assessment in Geography is used to understand what children know, remember and can apply.

In EYFS, assessment is ongoing and takes place through observation, interaction and discussion as children explore and learn through play.

In Key Stage 1 and 2, children work towards answering an overarching enquiry question at the end of each unit. Through their response, pupils demonstrate the knowledge, vocabulary and geographical understanding they have developed. Teachers use this work, alongside ongoing assessment during lessons, to identify progress and next steps.

The Geography Subject Leader also carries out pupil conversations and book looks, giving children the opportunity to talk about their learning, explain their geographical thinking and share what they have remembered and understood.

Assessment helps us to celebrate achievement, identify areas for development and ensure that children build knowledge and skills progressively throughout their primary education.