Geography in Early Years

In the Early Years, children begin their geographical journey by exploring and investigating their surroundings. Our curriculum allows children to begin to make sense of the world and their community by exploring, observing, and finding out about people, places, and the environment as well as begin to use relevant geographical vocabulary. Many of our Literacy texts feature characters on journeys which introduces children to simple maps and map making opportunities.

Regular visits to Trinity Woods and season walks help our children to learn about seasonal changes and outside play helps us to investigate and understand what it is like in our immediate local area. 

Geography in Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, children begin to build on their geographical experiences and knowledge from the EYFS. In Year 1 children look more closely at their immediate local area by exploring the school grounds and visiting the local shops at Bell Hall then create “messy maps” to represent their findings. This is built on further in Year 2 when children learn about the countries that make up the UK. Children also learn about the weather patterns in the United Kingdom and hot and cold areas of the world. In Year 2 children study Kenya as a contrasting non-European country. 

Children use atlases, world maps, globes, aerial photographs and ICT to help them locate the various places that are studied in Key Stage 1. Fieldwork opportunities allow children to begin to develop their observational skills as well as ask and answer simple enquiry questions.

Geography in Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, children deepen their understanding of geography through the study of various locations around the world, alongside a more detailed exploration of Halifax. In Year 3, children visit King Cross to investigate its connections to the wider world and explore the Piece Hall to examine its past, present, and possible future.

Fieldwork opportunities in the school grounds and offsite allow children to continue to develop compass skills, mapwork, and the ability to answer enquiry questions.

Children in Year 4 visit Lytham St Annes to compare coastal vegetation to plants on the school grounds. In Year 6, children visit Filey to look at coastal physical features and examine the effects of tourism on a seaside town.

Other countries studied in Key Stage 2 include South and North America, Pakistan, India, Antarctica and Italy. Links with other countries through trade and the UK is looked at as well as the physical and human features of these locations.

How can I support my child with geography?

Geography is part of everyday life. From watching the daily weather forecast and deciding what to wear, to choosing where to go on holiday or planning your route to work or school are just some of the ways in which we, as adults, think geographically.

With this in mind, your daily activities provide rich opportunities to explore geography with your child.

• Explore your local area: Talk about physical and human feature and landmarks.
• On a journey: Share a road map or phone app so your child can follow your route.  Alternatively, they can draw a map of their journey to school or the local shops.
• On holiday: Compare your destination with home by identifying similarities and differences.  For example differences in the weather, the types of buildings or the time difference between your holiday location and home.
• At home: Use TV, films, magazines, or computer games to spark curiosity about distant places. Prompt your child with questions like, “What might the weather be like there?” or “Why was the castle built in that location?”

These everyday discussions and activities encourage curiosity and help your child develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.