Embedded Files
Intent
Geography at St George’s is centred on helping children understand the world they live in. We believe Geography should provoke curiosity and prompt questions about both the natural and human aspects of our planet. Our aim is for pupils to leave St George’s inspired to become global, sustainable citizens who show responsibility, awareness and care for the world around them.
We strive to nurture and encourage natural curiosity, shaping children into inquisitive, questioning learners who look closely at their environment and begin to interpret what they see. We seek to instil a lifelong interest and fascination for the world and its people.
Children are encouraged to develop a secure understanding of the world and their place within it. Our curriculum is shaped by the belief that every child, regardless of background, ability or additional needs, can flourish and become the best version of themselves. Geography, by nature, is investigative, and our intent is to develop children’s conceptual understanding, knowledge and disciplinary skills in ways that are meaningful and transferable throughout their lives.
Implementation
We deliver the National Curriculum through carefully planned topics supported by clear progression in both skills and knowledge. This ensures that learning builds year on year and is sequenced in a way that maximises understanding for all pupils.
Each Geography lesson begins with a retrieval task, designed to strengthen long-term memory, revisit key facts and vocabulary, and help pupils make meaningful connections between new and prior learning.
Children develop the skills of a geographer through full immersion in the subject, including opportunities to explore, observe, question, record and analyse. The local area is used extensively to support learning outcomes, and meaningful opportunities for outdoor learning are embedded across the curriculum. Fieldwork and school trips provide first-hand experiences that deepen children’s understanding of the world beyond their immediate surroundings.
In the EYFS, geographical learning is rooted in the “Understanding the World” area of development. Children talk about their local environment, observe seasonal changes and recognise similarities and differences in the world around them. This foundational knowledge is intentionally built upon as pupils progress through the school.
In line with National Curriculum expectations, our implementation ensures children:
Develop contextual knowledge of significant global locations, including their physical and human characteristics.
Understand the processes that shape key physical and human features of the world, recognising interdependence, spatial variation and change over time.
Become competent in geographical skills such as collecting, analysing and communicating data through fieldwork.
Interpret a range of geographical information including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and GIS.
Communicate geographical understanding effectively using maps, quantitative skills and extended writing.
Impact
Our Geography curriculum enables children to gain a deep knowledge of the world and to recognise their role within it. They develop secure, transferable skills—such as enquiry, analysis, interpretation and communication—that prepare them for future learning and responsible citizenship.
Through retrieval routines, fieldwork, outdoor learning and engagement with meaningful geographical concepts, pupils become confident in exploring and explaining the physical and human processes that shape our planet. They leave St George’s with curiosity, respect for the environment and the ability to think critically about global issues.
Ultimately, our intent and implementation ensure that children grow into informed, thoughtful and skilled geographers who appreciate the diversity, complexity and interconnectedness of the world they inhabit.
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