Heathcote Primary School

At Heathcote we want our children to be naturally curious about the world around them. We want them to ‘think like a geographer’ and learn how geographers question and explain the world. The Geography in our school is about developing children’s ways of working that enable them to notice and observe the environment around them. We want them to have opportunities to collect, analyse and describe the findings of what they notice and observe. We want our children to develop a broad range of geographical knowledge and practise their skills in different environments.

A range of Geography knowledge and skills are embedded in each topic the children study and these are revisited and developed throughout their time at school. In line with our Curriculum Maestro planning, topics cover and revisit, across the key stages, Geographical concepts such as Processes, Human features and landmarks, Climate and weather, Fieldwork, UK, World and Geographical change. This allows the children to grow in both their content knowledge and their understanding of how ideas are connected, so that they have an in-depth geographical understanding. They build upon their prior knowledge and increase their enthusiasm for the topics whilst embedding knowledge into the long-term memory.

Geography teaching at Heathcote involves adapting and extending the curriculum to match all pupils’ needs to ensure they are challenged and achieve success, regardless of their starting point. Where possible, Geography is linked to class topics. The curriculum is carefully planned and considered so that although content is referred back to, it builds upon previous knowledge and is not repeated across key stages. We want children to develop a rich subject knowledge whilst demonstrating their creativity and experiencing the challenge and enjoyment of learning.

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Implementation

The names of our Geography enquiries are matched to the National Curriculum knowledge and skills of: locational knowledge; place knowledge; human and physical geography; and geographical skills and fieldwork. These are described in terms of a 'Big idea' such as Humankind, followed by the Geography concept/aspect of Human features and Landmarks, Settlements and Land Use. In another 'Big idea', Investigation, the concept/aspect relates to Geographical resources, Data analysis and Fieldwork.

Geography lessons are sequenced in this way to ensure that there is coverage of all the key geographical concepts/aspects across the key stages from Early Years to Year 6. These also link meaningfully with other areas of the curriculum. For example, in Year 2, the Movers and Shakers topic links to the Geography project, 'Let's Explore the World'.

The sequencing of projects ensures that children have the substantive knowledge and vocabulary to comprehend subsequent projects fully. Each project’s place in the year has also been carefully considered, as has the place across the key stages. For example, in Reception children might be learning about the environments that they share with others; in Year 1 about physical and human features, maps, cardinal compass points, and positional and directional language; and in Year 2 about atlases, maps and cardinal compass points. They learn about the characteristics of the four countries of the United Kingdom and find out why there are hot, temperate and cold places around the world. Then by the time they are in Year 6 they are learning about 'Our Changing world' when the project involves children finding out more about map scales, grid references, contour lines and map symbols.

Impact

At Heathcote, our aim is to ensure that all children leave primary school with a deep and lasting understanding of geographical concepts, knowledge, and skills that prepare them for the next stage of their education and life beyond the classroom. Through a thoughtfully designed and progressive curriculum, pupils gain a secure grasp of local, national, and global geography, including our place within the wider world.

Our teaching nurtures curiosity, develops critical thinking, and encourages children to question, explore, and understand the dynamic world around them. Children are equipped not only with geographical knowledge but with a sense of responsibility, cultural awareness, and a respect for diverse environments and communities.

By the end of their time at Heathcote, our pupils are confident, informed, and enthusiastic geographers, ready to thrive in Key Stage 3 and to contribute thoughtfully to the world they live in. They leave with values and transferable skills that support lifelong learning and respectful, informed global citizenship.