Geography at Grove Church of England Primary - Revised 2026

LONG TERM PLAN OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

“The study of geography is about more than just memorising places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world and appreciating the diversity of cultures that exist across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together.”

Barack Obama

Intent

At Grove, the study of Geography stimulates an interest in and a sense of wonder about places. It helps pupils make sense of a complex and dynamically changing world. It explains where places are, how places and landscapes are formed, how people and their environment interact, and how a diverse range of economies, societies and environments are interconnected. It builds on pupils' own experiences of investigating places at all scales, from the personal to the global.

Geographical enquiry encourages questioning, investigation and critical thinking about issues affecting the world and people's lives, now and in the future. Fieldwork is an essential element of this. Pupils learn to think spatially and use maps, visual images and new technologies, including geographical information systems (GIS), to obtain, present and analyse information. Geography inspires pupils to become global citizens by exploring their own place in the world, their values and their responsibilities to other people, to the environment and to the sustainability of the planet.

 Implementation

At Grove, we teach a topic-based Geography curriculum which is linked to other areas of the curriculum where possible. We use Oak National Academy to support the planning and teaching of Geography, focussing on the 4 areas: location, physical features, human features and diversity. Oak National Academy aligns with the programs of study at Key Stage 1 and 2 to cover the 4 areas of the geography curriculum: Locational Knowledge, Place Knowledge, Human and Physical Geography, Geography Skills and fieldwork. Fieldwork is done through educational visits and excursions into the local area

The topics are part of a sequence that meets the requirements of the national curriculum and to build upon prior learning. Topics are sequenced to ensure children will study places across the seven continents and five oceans of the world.

Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt, and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.

Enhancements

Most year groups have a focus on the geography of the local area at some point during the year, using various mapping resources, such as Google Earth, to support children’s mapping skills. Where appropriate, children experience the geography of the locality and complete fieldwork.

Links are made to Geography and extra-curricular projects, such as the Olympic Games and sporting World Cups, where children can learn about other countries and cultures. 

Impact

By the time children leave Grove CE Primary school, children will:

• Be able to measure, enquire, communicate, infer, analyse, design, observe, collaborate, reflect upon and explore in a variety of geographical contexts
• Know the geography of the world, including oceans, continents, mountain ranges and rivers
• Understand that different parts of the world experience different climates, time zones, languages and economies
• Appreciate and understand the geography of the locality, including human and physical geography
• Have a love of learning about the world