Geography
At Lytchett Matravers Primary School, our Geography curriculum is designed to inspire all children with a deep sense of curiosity, awe and wonder about the world around them. We aim to develop passionate geographers who understand the physical and human challenges facing our planet and appreciate their role in shaping a sustainable future. Our curriculum is carefully structured and sequenced to meet the aims of the National Curriculum, ensuring pupils master core content through the development of key concepts and regular revisiting of essential knowledge.
Our lessons are designed to enhance geographical vocabulary, map skills and factual understanding, while encouraging enquiry, critical thinking and a lifelong fascination with the world and its people. Skills are put into practice both inside and outside the classroom through local fieldwork, educational visits and the use of our own school grounds. By fostering a spirit of exploration and global awareness, we aim to nurture informed, thoughtful citizens who are equipped to engage with the complexities of the modern world.
In Early Years, children begin to explore geography within provision for Knowledge and Understanding of the World. We encourage them to observe and talk about their immediate environment, notice similarities and differences and to develop a sense of place.
In Key Stage 1, children begin to use maps and identify physical and human features in their local area, such as Lytchett Matravers and Poole. As they progress, they not only expand their geographical knowledge by exploring continents and oceans in Year 2, but also experience personal growth—developing confidence, independence and a deeper understanding of the world around them. In Year 2, children will then begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe (China) and ask and answer geographical questions.
In KS2, map skills are developed further using more complex maps, including digital maps, and begin to use more fieldwork skills. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson plans and resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new knowledge and challenge.
Across both key stages, a range of activities, including practical application, are planned in key areas:
- Location and Place
- Physical and Human Geography
- Mapping
- Directional Skills
- Fieldwork Skills
- Environment and Sustainability
- Settlement and Land Use
- Weather
We believe that the impact of our geography lessons will ensure that geography study brings joy, curiosity and excitement to learning about the world. All children will use geographical vocabulary accurately and understand the different strands of geography, with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Children will begin to make relevant links from geography to other curriculum subjects, such as history and science. They will improve their enquiry skills and inquisitiveness about the world around them. All children will realise that they have choices to make in the world, developing a positive commitment to the environment and the future of the planet. Children will become competent in collecting, analysing and communicating a range of data gathered. They will be able to interpret a range of sources of geographical information and they will communicate geographical information in a variety of ways.