We are Geographers!
“Geography is the subject that holds the key to our future”
Michael Palin
At St. Augustine’s, we aim to nurture curious and confident geographers who are passionate about understanding the world around them. Through engaging and progressive learning experiences, pupils develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary to think, act and speak like geographers, preparing them to become informed, responsible and active global citizens.
We follow the National Curriculum programmes of study and aim to develop confident geographers who are well equipped to continue their geographical learning as they progress through education. Pupils are challenged to think, act and speak like geographers through a consistent and progressive approach across all year groups.
Both substantive knowledge and disciplinary knowledge are explicitly taught:
- Substantive knowledge refers to the places, people, environments and geographical features pupils learn about.
- Disciplinary knowledge refers to how geographers work, including enquiry, interpretation, analysis, explanation and evaluation of geographical information, alongside key concepts such as place, space, scale, change and interdependence.
High-quality Geography teaching is a priority at St. Joseph’s. Our curriculum forms part of a coherent and progressive journey from EYFS to Year 6 and beyond, inspiring pupils’ curiosity and fascination about the world while equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to understand both physical and human geography.
Through Geography, pupils will:
- Develop locational knowledge of globally significant places and environments.
- Explore physical and human geography through a broad and ambitious curriculum.
- Experience Geography beyond the classroom through fieldwork and real-world enquiry.
- Understand how geographical knowledge and skills link to future careers and real-world roles.
- Recognise their role as responsible global citizens and understand the impact people have on the environment and wider world.
Implementation
Geography at St. Augustine’s is taught through a carefully sequenced and progressive curriculum that enables pupils to build their knowledge and skills over time. Learning is planned to ensure that key geographical concepts are revisited regularly, allowing pupils to deepen their understanding, make meaningful connections and retain knowledge in their long-term memory.
Threshold Concepts in Geography
Our Geography curriculum is structured around four threshold concepts that are revisited and developed throughout each year group:
- Location and Place Knowledge
- Geographical Skills and Communication
- Physical Processes and Landscapes
- Human Interaction with the Environment
These concepts underpin all geographical learning and support pupils in developing a deep and transferable understanding of the subject.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching is informed by evidence-based practice and cognitive science. Prior learning is regularly revisited through retrieval activities, enabling pupils to remember more and build upon what they already know. Teachers explicitly model geographical thinking and vocabulary, helping pupils to think, act and speak like geographers.
Lessons are designed to:
- Build upon prior learning
- Introduce new knowledge in manageable steps
- Develop geographical enquiry and critical thinking
- Apply knowledge and skills in a range of contexts
- Promote discussion and the use of subject-specific vocabulary
Careers Education
Careers education is woven throughout the Geography curriculum, helping pupils understand the relevance of their learning beyond the classroom. Pupils learn about how geographical knowledge and skills are used in a variety of professions and explore careers linked to the units they study, including:
- Geographers and cartographers
- Environmental scientists and conservationists
- Meteorologists and climatologists
- Urban and transport planners
- Geologists and hydrologists
- GIS analysts and mapping specialists
This helps raise aspirations and enables pupils to see the value and application of Geography in the wider world.
Progression and Fieldwork
Geographical learning progresses from the familiar to the wider world. Pupils begin by exploring:
- Their immediate environment
- The local area
- The United Kingdom
- Europe and the wider world
Learning sequences provide opportunities for pupils to:
- Review and recall prior learning
- Deepen their understanding of geographical concepts
- Apply knowledge and skills in new and unfamiliar contexts
- Make connections between places, people and environments
Fieldwork is an integral part of Geography at St. Augustine’s. Pupils are given regular opportunities to develop key geographical skills through first-hand experiences within the school grounds, local area and beyond. These experiences are carefully planned to build progressively from EYFS to Year 6, enabling pupils to become increasingly confident in observing, investigating, recording and analysing geographical information.
Through fieldwork, pupils learn to:
- Observe and describe geographical features and patterns
- Ask geographical questions and carry out enquiries
- Collect, record and present data using a range of methods
- Use maps, atlases, digital mapping and fieldwork equipment effectively
- Analyse evidence and draw conclusions
- Communicate findings using appropriate geographical vocabulary
Fieldwork provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to apply their learning in real-world contexts, helping them to develop a deeper understanding of their local environment and the wider world. Through these experiences, children grow as curious, independent and reflective geographers who can confidently use their knowledge and skills beyond the classroom.
Through this approach, pupils develop both substantive and disciplinary knowledge, enabling them to understand geographical processes, make sense of the world around them and apply their learning confidently across a range of contexts.