Geography

Geography in Key Stage 1

Geography is learning lots of exciting things about the world, the United Kingdom and my local area. I will be given the opportunity to name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans. I will also be able to name, locate and identify the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas. I am given the opportunity to study the similarities and differences between a small area of the United Kingdom, and a small area in a non-European country.

I will be able to identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles. I will use simple compass directions (North, South, East and West) and be able to describe the location of other features and routes on a map. I will learn to draw a simple map and use my fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of our school and its grounds, and identify what makes the surrounding environment so special.

Geography in Key Stage 2

Geography is learning about the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. I am given the opportunity to develop my geographical knowledge and understanding through research, observation, measurement, recording and presentation. 

I will develop skills to enhance my knowledge of my local area and my location in the world, including Europe, North and South America. I will locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe and North and South America. I will be able to name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, and other notable features including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers. I will identify the position of the Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and Arctic and Antarctic Circles on a world map.

I will be given the opportunity to study a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America. In Physical Geography, I will look at climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle. In Human Geography, I will look at types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

I will be given the opportunity to use maps, atlases, globes and computer mapping to locate countries around the world. I will also use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and keys to build my knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world. I will use my fieldwork skills to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in my local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps and graphs.