At Woodsetts Primary School, we want every child to understand and feel connected to the world around them — from our local area in Rotherham and Worksop to the distant environments of the Arctic, Africa and the Amazon. Our Geography curriculum builds children's curiosity, global awareness and sense of responsibility, helping them develop key geographical skills and knowledge while learning about human and physical processes that shape our world.
We aim to ensure that every child:
- Understands key physical and human features of the world
- Develops a strong knowledge of place, space, and scale
- Builds skills in map reading, data analysis, fieldwork and enquiry
- Reflects on the impact of human behaviour on the environment
- Learns to communicate findings confidently using subject-specific vocabulary
Our approach helps children see Geography as relevant, real and rooted in their lives — encouraging thoughtful conversations about change, sustainability, and the future.
We teach Geography through a series of big concepts that spiral through the curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6. These include:
- Physical Features – mountains, rivers, climate, biomes
- Settlement – where and why people live where they do
- Cartography – using and creating maps, atlases and digital tools
- Boundaries – political and physical divisions of space
- Change – natural and human processes that alter environments
These key ideas form a Golden Thread across year groups, helping children deepen their understanding as they revisit and build on them each year.
Each year group studies two geography-led units per year, taught in two lessons per week, typically in Autumn 1 and Spring. Units are question-led and designed to promote enquiry, reasoning and curiosity. These are planned carefully using out Skills and Knowedge Progression, looking at the National Curriculum and other guidance. Each unit has a theme overview document which outlines the lesson by lesson knowledge and skills that need to be taught.
| Year Group | Unit 1 | Unit 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Where do we live? (Homes & Local Area) | Where are the hot and cold places? |
| Year 2 | What is our capital city like? (London) | What would it be like to live at the seaside? |
| Year 3 | What is it like in the Polar Regions? | How do features affect settlement in America? |
| Year 4 | What is life like in Africa? | What causes natural disasters? |
| Year 5 | Why do we travel and trade? | What challenges arise from tourism in Greece? |
| Year 6 | How is life changing in our rainforests? | What impact do we have on our world? |
In EYFS, children begin to explore the natural world through rich, hands-on experiences. They:
- Observe and draw plants and animals
- Learn about seasonal changes
- Talk about where they live and compare it to other environments
- Begin to understand location, direction, and space through play and stories
These foundations prepare children for Key Stage 1 geography by sparking curiosity and introducing geographical vocabulary and observational skills.
Each unit includes:
- A title page and knowledge grid
- A vocabulary mat introducing key words
- A mix of core knowledge (taught explicitly) and hinterland knowledge (to enrich understanding)
Children revisit vocabulary regularly through retrieval routines to help knowledge stick. This includes regular use of our "Super Six" and "Terrific Three" activities, quizzes and end of unit assessments.
We assess Geography through a combination of:
- Weekly retrieval practice (KS1: Terrific Three and KS2: Super Six)
- End-of-unit assessments – quizzes based on the knowledge grid
- Book evidence – work, vocabulary use, success criteria, and fieldwork records
- Ongoing teacher assessment of vocabulary, concepts, and skill progression
At Woodsetts, we believe in the power of stories and non-fiction to bring Geography to life. Carefully chosen texts help children explore the world through different lenses, sparking curiosity about people, places, and the planet. These books support vocabulary development, deepen conceptual understanding, and connect geography to wider learning.
Here are just a few of the high-quality geography-linked texts we use across the school:
EYFS
- We're Going on a Bear Hunt – Michael Rosen
Exploring landscapes and physical features through storytelling. - Seasons Come, Seasons Go: Tree – Britta Teckentrup
Understanding seasonal change and the natural world.
Key Stage 1
Year 1
- Me on the Map – Joan Sweeney
Building early spatial awareness and understanding of location. - The Big Book of the UK – Imogen Russell Williams
Discovering countries, cities and culture within the UK.
Year 2
- Katie in London – James Mayhew
Landmarks and life in our capital city. - The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch – Ronda Armitage
Exploring human features and coastal geography.
Lower Key Stage 2
Year 3
- The Great Explorer – Chris Judge
Survival and human interaction with extreme environments. - The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club – Alex Bell
Imaginative insight into polar climates and biomes.
Year 4
- Africa is Not a Country – Margy Burns Knight
Understanding diversity and challenging stereotypes. - Earth Shattering Events – Robin Jacobs
Investigating natural disasters and Earth’s systems.
Upper Key Stage 2
Year 5
- The Boy Who Biked the World – Alastair Humphreys
Real-life geography and travel through continents. - A Ticket Around the World – Natalia Diaz & Melissa Owens
Global cultures, people and traditions.
Year 6
- The Explorer – Katherine Rundell
A rainforest survival story set in the Amazon. - If the World Were a Village – David J. Smith
Visualising global population and diversity.
At Woodsetts, we know that curiosity is at the heart of Geography — and our pupils have a lot to say about the world around them.
We regularly capture pupil voice through book talk, discussions, exit questions and fieldwork reflections. Here's what some of our children say:
- "We looked at maps to find where we live. I even found my street!" – Year 1
- "I didn't know the Earth had different layers until we did natural disasters. Now I want to learn more." – Year 4
- "We used six-figure grid references to map our school. It was like being a real geographer." – Year 6
- "I loved learning how different the rainforest is to where we live. I want to go to the Amazon one day." – Year 6
- "In Geography, we don’t just learn facts – we learn how to ask questions." – Year 3
Pupil feedback informs curriculum decisions, helping us shape topics, fieldwork opportunities and how we revisit vocabulary and concepts over time.
Geography learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door! Here are some trusted websites and tools to explore the world at home:
- Google Earth
Take a virtual journey around the planet — zoom into famous landmarks, explore 3D cities and natural wonders.https://earth.google.com/
- BBC Bitesize – KS1 & KS2 Geography
A fantastic site for interactive games, videos, and revision for primary geography topics. - National Geographic Kids
Packed with articles, quizzes, and fun facts about countries, animals, and the planet. - DK Find Out – Geography
Explore maps, weather, ecosystems and more through this beautifully illustrated site.
Why not try these at home:
- Look at Google Maps together and plan a route
- Compare the weather in different parts of the world
- Make a model of a volcano or river system
- Watch wildlife or climate documentaries and discuss what you notice
- Keep a family “travel diary” of places visited (even local walks!)
Look out for our half termly "Home Learning Menus" which will include some geography based learning for you to try at home too!
