Geography
At Higher Lane, we want every child to thrive, achieve and belong through our geography curriculum. Teaching is carefully sequenced so that pupils regularly revisit and build upon key skills and knowledge in each year group. This repetition helps children to develop secure geographical understanding over time, deepening their awareness of the world, the United Kingdom, and their local area. Alongside this, pupils build a strong geographical vocabulary and apply skills, including first-hand observation, to strengthen their locational awareness.
Locational Knowledge
Children learn to name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans. They also study the four countries of the United Kingdom, identifying their capital cities and surrounding seas.
Place Knowledge
Pupils explore similarities and differences between places, comparing the human and physical geography of a small area in the UK with that of a contrasting non-European country. They investigate seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK, as well as hot and cold regions of the world in relation to the equator and the North and South Poles. Throughout this, they use and apply rich geographical vocabulary such as beach, cliff, forest, mountain, river, soil, valley, town, and village.
Human and Physical Geography
Through engaging activities, pupils describe and discuss key physical features (such as seas, oceans, hills and forests) and human features (such as towns, ports, farms, and shops). This helps them connect geographical terms with real-life experiences and observations, developing curiosity and confidence.
Disciplinary Concepts
Our geography curriculum also introduces pupils to the disciplinary concepts that underpin the subject. Children learn about place, space, and scale, developing an understanding of locations and their relationships to one another. They explore interdependence and how physical and human processes shape the world around us. Pupils consider the environmental impact of human activity, and begin to think about sustainable development and caring for the planet. Through their studies, they also develop cultural awareness and an appreciation of diversity, learning to respect and value different communities and perspectives.
Geographical Skills and Fieldwork
Children use maps, atlases, and globes to identify the UK, its countries, and the continents and oceans studied. They learn to use simple compass directions and positional language to describe locations and routes. Using aerial photographs and plan views, pupils identify landmarks and features, create their own simple maps, and use symbols in a key. They also carry out fieldwork, exploring their school grounds and local environment to study human and physical features around them.
Consistency of Practice
Across year groups, there is a consistency of practice in the way geography is taught. This ensures pupils experience engaging, well-structured lessons that build on prior knowledge and prepare them for future learning.
The Higher Lane Journey
Through their journey at Higher Lane, children become confident, enthusiastic geographers who thrive in their learning, achieve secure foundations in key skills, and belong to a community where curiosity about the world is valued and celebrated.