Geography underpins a lifelong 'conversation' about the earth as the home of humankind

- Geography Association 

At Laneshaw Bridge, we want our children to think like geographers and be in awe and wonder of our Earth. The teaching of geography is vital to developing life-long learners who seek to maximise the use of resources in their environment, who minimise the impact of their actions, and who seek to develop an informed understanding of the world they live in.

Our curriculum is grounded in our school values of Ambition, Collaboration and Trust. Through the study of geography, children develop ambition to explore and understand the world beyond their immediate experiences, collaboration through shared enquiry and teamwork, and trust in themselves and others as responsible global citizens.

These aims are achieved through enquiry questions, which help children investigate where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time. As a result, they are encouraged to engage critically with current issues surrounding changes to the world they inhabit — from local environmental challenges to global questions of sustainability and climate change.

Our teaching provides children with the knowledge and understanding of key vocabulary and terminology about diverse places, people, resources, and environments — both natural and human — together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Knowledge organisers and carefully sequenced lessons ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, can access and retain key knowledge through scaffolding, explicit vocabulary instruction, and structured retrieval practice. Every child is supported to develop confidence and independence as a geographer.

Our intention is for children to be ready to tackle the expectations of KS3 and beyond. Geography seeks answers to fundamental questions such as:

• Where is this place?
• What is it like (and why)?
• How and why is it changing?
• How does this place compare with other places?
• How and why are places connected?

Geography draws on its rich vocabulary to identify and name places, features, and the human and physical processes at work within them. Such core knowledge provides the building blocks of deeper explanation and understanding, giving pupils entry points into geographical conversations about the world. We describe this as “thinking geographically” and explicitly teach this to our pupils through the use of knowledge organisers, guided discussion, and retrieval tasks.

Our aim is to start our children’s geography journey right from the beginning of their Reception year, building on the Early Learning Goals of Understanding the World. In Early Years, children make sense of their physical world and community by exploring, observing, and finding out about people, places, and the environment. They learn about the lives and roles of people around them, observe their local area on Wellie Walks, and begin to ask geographical questions.

In Year 1, children build on the EYFS understanding of the world, finding out about people, places, and environments beyond their own experience. They begin by learning about their immediate locality — exploring familiar features such as homes, shops, and farms — and develop early mapping and observational skills.

As children move through school, they study local, national, and global geography, each underpinned by key enquiry questions and concepts that develop progressively in complexity. These include:

• Investigate places
• Investigate patterns
• Communicate geographically

These key concepts underpin learning in every year group, enabling children to reinforce and build upon prior knowledge, make connections, and develop subject-specific vocabulary. Our curriculum design provides equitable access to enrichment opportunities such as local fieldwork, outdoor investigations, and visits beyond school, ensuring all pupils — regardless of background — experience geography in action.

Throughout our geography curriculum, pupils are encouraged to consider their role as global citizens who understand and care for the planet. They explore issues such as sustainability, climate change, and interconnectedness, developing empathy and a sense of responsibility for the world they share. Through these studies, children gain cultural capital by encountering a diverse range of places, people, and cultures, broadening their understanding of global diversity and helping them appreciate their place within it.

Pupil voice is central to our approach: enquiry questions are shaped by children’s interests, current global events, and lived experiences, ensuring geography is meaningful, relevant, and engaging. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions, debate ideas, and apply their learning to real-world contexts.

Evidence

At Laneshaw Bridge, children record their learning in a variety of ways, which is captured within geography books. Evidence of learning depends on the lesson outcome, year group, and the knowledge and skills being developed. This may include extended writing, annotated diagrams, photographs of fieldwork, and pupil reflections that demonstrate understanding and curiosity.

Assessment

Teachers assess children’s learning throughout each lesson to ensure understanding of skills and knowledge before moving on to new learning. A range of questioning, retrieval practice, and low-stakes assessments are used to gauge progress against the learning aims. Children also complete end-of-unit assessments to measure both substantive (content) and disciplinary (skills) knowledge. These assessments inform responsive teaching and ensure that all pupils — including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged — are supported to succeed.

Subject Leadership

Subject leaders conduct deep dives, including lesson visits, pupil interviews, and book looks, to measure the impact of geography teaching based on how much knowledge children can recall and apply. Leaders collaborate with counterparts across the Trust to moderate outcomes, share good practice, and ensure that standards are consistently high and reflective of our school values: Ambition, Collaboration, and Trust.

In Summary

Through our Geography curriculum, Laneshaw Bridge pupils develop curiosity, empathy, and a sense of responsibility for the world. They become confident, informed, and respectful global citizens — ambitious in their learning, collaborative in their approach, and guided by trust in themselves and others.