Geography at Holy Family Catholic Primary School

Intent

At Holy Family, we believe that Geography helps provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. Our curriculum aims to inspire in children a lifelong curiosity and fascination about the world and its people.

We prioritise building children’s awareness of their local area and fostering an understanding of their place in the wider world. Each unit begins with a focus on ‘Our World’ and ‘The UK’, helping children contextualise new knowledge and see how global geography relates to their own lives.

Geography is an investigative subject that develops a deep understanding of concepts, knowledge and transferable skills. It provides a framework for children to explore diverse places, people, environments and processes—natural and human. We embed progressive geographical skills and subject-specific vocabulary throughout the curriculum to ensure children build upon prior knowledge year by year. This structured progression prepares them not only for the next stage in their education but also to become informed global citizens.

Implementation

Geography is taught in blocks throughout the year, enabling children to revisit and build upon previous learning to achieve depth and retention. Each unit begins with an introduction to ‘Our World’ and ‘The UK’, providing essential context and reinforcing children's awareness of geography at different scales.

Key knowledge, progressive skills and vocabulary have been clearly mapped to ensure continuity and development across year groups. These are revisited regularly and built upon in each phase of learning. The local area is fully utilised to enhance learning—particularly in developing the skill of fieldwork. Children are given extensive opportunities for outdoor learning, enabling them to apply their knowledge practically and observe geography in action.

Impact

Children’s books and pupil voice reflect a broad, balanced and engaging geography curriculum. They demonstrate the children’s growing acquisition of key knowledge, skills and vocabulary.

Each geography lesson begins with a ‘review and revise’ session as part of expert tuition, enabling children to consolidate prior learning and make clear connections with new content. Key vocabulary is introduced and revisited with visual cues, ensuring all learners can access and retain subject-specific language. Cloze reading activities are used to reinforce understanding, support language development, and embed key knowledge. Through this consistent and inclusive approach, children become more reflective and aware of their progress. As they move through the school, they develop a deep understanding and appreciation of their local area, how it connects to national and global geography and a secure sense of their place in the world.

By the end of their primary journey, children at Holy Family are equipped with the geographical knowledge, vocabulary and enquiry skills necessary to thrive in further education and to engage with the world around them.

Our Geography display in the hall, celebrates our pupils' work and demonstrates the sequenced progression of skills and knowledge from EYFS all the way up to Year 6. Above our displays are examples of potential qualifications, apprenticeships and career paths which build on their primary Geography journey.

Our Geography displays in our classrooms reflect the expectations of the term.