Geography at Breckon Hill
“Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future.” — Michael Palin
Curriculum Intent
At Breckon Hill Primary School, our Geography curriculum is designed in line with the National Curriculum, ensuring pupils develop a secure understanding of the world, its people and environments. We aim to inspire curiosity and a lifelong interest in geography, while equipping pupils with the knowledge, skills and vocabulary needed to understand both their local area and the wider world.
Our curriculum reflects and celebrates the diverse community we serve, helping pupils develop respect, tolerance and a strong sense of global citizenship. Through geography, pupils learn about human and physical processes, sustainability and how human activity impacts the environment.
Pupils develop:
- Locational knowledge of countries, continents, oceans and key features
- Place knowledge, understanding similarities and differences between locations
- An understanding of human and physical geography, including climate change
- Strong geographical skills, such as map use and fieldwork
- The ability to use geographical vocabulary accurately and confidently
Geography is taught both discretely and through meaningful links with subjects such as English, History, PSHE, P4C and PHSE, giving pupils rich contexts for learning and helping them make connections across the curriculum.
Curriculum Implementation
Our Geography curriculum is carefully sequenced. Knowledge, skills and vocabulary are developed progressively with key concepts revisited to support long‑term retention and deeper understanding. Subject‑specific vocabulary is explicitly taught through stem sentences, and oracy is prioritised through structured talk, enabling pupils to clearly explain their geographical thinking.
Teaching is driven by overarching enquiry and philosophical questions, aligned with our Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach. These questions provide a clear purpose for learning and are revisited throughout each unit to support discussion, reasoning and reflection.
Geography in our Early Years is taught through the area of Understanding the World, where children begin to explore and make sense of their environment and the wider world. Through play, discussion and first-hand experiences, children learn about their local area, different places and cultures, and the natural world. They observe seasonal changes, explore maps and simple routes, and use a growing range of vocabulary to describe what they see. This strong foundation develops children’s curiosity and helps them build an early understanding of place, environment and community.
In Key Stage 1, geography focuses on helping children understand their immediate surroundings and develop a sense of place. Pupils explore their local area, the UK and the wider world, learning to identify key physical and human features. Through maps, simple fieldwork and first-hand experiences, they build early geographical vocabulary and curiosity about the world around them.
In Key Stage 2, pupils deepen and broaden their understanding, moving from local to global learning. They study regions of the UK, Europe and beyond, exploring physical processes such as rivers and climate, alongside human geography including settlements and land use. Pupils develop stronger enquiry skills, use maps and data with increasing confidence, and investigate how people and environments are interconnected.
Geography supports pupils to become curious, knowledgeable and informed about the world they live in.
Fieldwork is an integral part of the curriculum, with pupils regularly exploring their local area to observe, measure, collect and present data using maps, digital tools and simple geographical techniques.
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Curriculum Impact
As a result of our Geography curriculum, pupils meet the expectations of the National Curriculum and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding across all National Curriculum strands:
- Locational Knowledge – identifying key countries, regions and features of the world
- Place knowledge – comparing locations and understanding their human and physical characteristics
- Human and physical geography – explaining processes such as climate, land use, settlements and environmental change
- Geographical skills and fieldwork – confidently using maps, atlases, digital mapping tools and fieldwork techniques
Pupils are able to use geographical vocabulary accurately, ask relevant questions, analyse information and draw informed conclusions. They show curiosity about the world, respect for cultural diversity and an understanding of sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Summative assessments are also used to inform future planning. Rapid recall quizzes at the start of each lesson help pupils retrieve prior knowledge, reinforce key concepts, and prepare their minds for new learning. These short, focused activities strengthen memory and identify areas where understanding may need refreshing.
At the end of each unit pupils are given a quiz which assesses pupils’ overall understanding and highlights gaps in knowledge. Teachers can use this information to plan future lessons, provide targeted support, and design activities—such as rapid recall or focused practice—to consolidate learning.
Our geography curriculum is enriched through our Super Curriculum, Cultural Capital opportunities and our ‘50 Experiences’, ensuring pupils learn and enjoy geography beyond the classroom.
Geography Documents
| Document | Download |
| Example of End of Unit Geography Assessment Quiz | Download |
