“The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together.” – Barack Obama

Our Geography curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity and a lifelong fascination with the world and its people. We aim to develop pupils who think, question, and act like geographers, observing, investigating, and understanding the diverse places, people, and environments that make up our planet.

Our vision is for every child to gain a deep awareness of the world around them, locally, nationally, and globally, and to understand their role within it. We believe that geography provides the key to unlocking an understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically, and ecologically diverse world.

Intent

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Head

  • Learn about the human and physical features of our world and be
    able to explain them and the processes which impact upon them.
  • Have opportunities to create, through mapping and producing field
    sketches
  • Have opportunities to conduct field work – measuring, recording and
    investigating features of the natural world.
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Heart

  • Foster curiosity and creativity about what they are learning and
    about the world around them. to ask questions
  • Foster a love of learning new knowledge and skills, a love of building
    on existing knowledge and skills and a love of creating, planning and
    undertaking geographical fieldwork, methodically.
  • Have resilience and determination by knowing that hard work will
    give us the answers and help us to succeed. To know that it is OK to
    not get things right all of the time and we learn from mistakes.
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Hand

  • To begin to answer their own questions about the world around
    them.
  • Are equipped with the Geographical knowledge required to
    understand the uses and implications of Geography, today and for
    the future.
  • Understand that Geography is essential to everyday life and the
    impact it can have on our planet

At English Martyrs we follow the Primary National Curriculum for Geography in England.

The National Curriculum states that

“A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.”

Implementation

Geography Progression Document

Geography Small Steps Document Whole School

Our Geography curriculum is implemented through a carefully structured, progressive programme that builds knowledge and skills as pupils move from the early years through to the end of primary. Each year group follows a long-term plan that outlines the geographical topics, themes and skills to be covered, ensuring clear progression in both content and complexity. As children advance, prior learning is revisited and reinforced, giving them opportunities to consolidate understanding before moving on to new concepts. This vertical progression ensures that by the time pupils complete their primary journey, they possess a rich and coherent geographical foundation.

Impact

At English Martyrs Catholic Voluntary Academy, our Geography curriculum ensures that by the time pupils complete Key Stage 2, they are not only knowledgeable about the human and physical features of our world, but also able to explain the processes that shape them. Students develop real-world geographic skills, from mapping and fieldwork to analysing climate, landscapes, and human impact, giving them a strong foundation for understanding both local and global environments.

Beyond knowledge and skills, our curriculum nurtures curiosity, creativity and resilience. Pupils learn to ask meaningful questions, think critically about the world around them, and to recognise that mistakes and challenges are part of learning. They grow confident to investigate, reflect, and draw their own conclusions about the impact humans have on the planet.

As a result, our young learners leave English Martyrs not just with facts and skills, but with the attitude of responsible global citizens: equipped to understand complex environmental and social issues, aware of their place in the world, and ready to contribute positively to society and the future of our planet.