Geography

At Finbar’s, geography helps children make sense of the world they live in. From the very start in EYFS, children explore their immediate environment, notice patterns and changes in nature, and begin to talk about places that are special to them. This early curiosity lays the foundation for geographical thinking — comparing, observing and describing the world around them.

In KS1, children build on this knowledge by learning about their local area, the United Kingdom, and the wider world. They begin to use maps and simple fieldwork to investigate their surroundings, understand seasonal changes, and compare contrasting environments. Through hands-on learning and meaningful contexts, children start to see how people and places are connected.

As children move into KS2, we follow the Opening Worlds scheme to extend their geographical knowledge further. They develop a deep understanding of places, people, environments and global patterns. Carefully sequenced units introduce rich vocabulary, powerful stories and real-world examples that bring geography to life. This enables children to connect what they learn across topics and to build a lasting sense of place and global awareness.

Through geography, we help children grow in four key areas:

• Place knowledge– understanding what makes different places unique
• Locational knowledge– knowing where places are and how they relate to one another
• Human and physical geography– learning how people and nature shape the world
• Geographical skills and enquiry– using maps, fieldwork and communication to explore and explain

Our geography curriculum, supported by Opening Worlds, ensures every child:

• Develops secure knowledge from their local area to the wider world
• Understands key physical and human processes and how they interact
• Builds a rich geographical vocabulary to describe and compare accurately
• Makes meaningful links across geography, history and religion through Opening Worlds
• Grows in curiosity, respect and responsibility for the world and its people

Documents

Inclusion in Geography

Geography – Curriculum Statement

Geography – Curriculum Overview

Geography – Progression in Skills

Geography – Vocabulary Progression

SMSC – Geography

EYFS – Geography