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Geography.

Geography at St Joseph’s:

Geography is taught using an adapted Collins scheme that fully reflects the aims and requirements of the National Curriculum for Geography. The curriculum is designed to build pupils’ knowledge, skills and curiosity about the world around them.

• Locational Knowledge: Pupils learn to name and locate the world’s continents, oceans, countries and major cities, developing a sense of place and scale.

• Place Knowledge: Children compare and contrast local, national, and global environments, exploring how and why places are similar or different.

• Human and Physical Geography: Pupils study key aspects of the natural world—such as rivers, mountains, climate and weather—as well as human features like settlements, land use and trade.

• Geographical Skills and Fieldwork: Children use maps, globes, compasses, digital tools, and fieldwork investigations to observe, measure and record geographical information in real contexts.

• Enquiry and Understanding: Lessons encourage questioning, investigation and critical thinking about environmental issues and sustainability.

• Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

The exciting things that take place in Geography are:

• Engaging weekly lessons where we learn about the world around us.
• Take part in Lancashire Day annually. 
• Outdoor fieldwork sessions using the school grounds or the forest
• Visits from local members of our community including council workers and MPs 
• Map challenges to start our lessons and improve our sense of place 
• Learning about people and cultures from around the world 
• Discovering our local environment and how we can care for it 
• Investigating environmental issues. 

Why do I need to know this?

The aim of geography teaching here at St Joseph’s Primary School is to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes  and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge provides the tools and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time. We want our children to be proud of where they live and where they come from, so they should celebrate the local area. 

Geography in EYFS

In EYFS, children learn about geography by exploring themselves, their surroundings and the wider world. They observe seasonal changes such as autumn and spring, noticing how the environment and weather change over time. Through festivals and cultural events, they learn about different places and traditions. Children begin to develop an understanding of local and global locations, including their home city, other parts of the world and special places like the seaside. They also explore fantasy and adventure settings to extend their understanding of landscapes and environments. By comparing different places, observing nature, and learning about the planet and space, children build an awareness of the diversity of environments and the world around them.

What do we say about Geography:

L in Eagles, "I like to learn about the planet and how important parts of the world are"

AJ in Penguins, "I love learning about the world"

Policies related to Geography: