Geography Curriculum
Overview
Geography at Rathfern encourages pupils to explore and appreciate the world around them. We help children understand the relationship between people and places—locally, nationally, and globally—and how human actions shape environments. Fieldwork and map skills are integral, building geographical curiosity and responsibility.
Intent
Our intent is for pupils to:
- Develop secure locational and place knowledge of the UK, Europe, and the wider world.
- Understand key physical and human processes shaping Earth.
- Use geographical skills to collect, interpret, and communicate data.
- Recognise connections through Golden Threads of Settlement, Weather and Climate, Water, Data for Decision Making, Trade, Migration, and Sustainability.
- Become environmentally aware citizens who act for a sustainable future.
Implementation
Geography is taught through carefully sequenced enquiry questions such as:
- “What are volcanoes and earthquakes? Why do they happen?”
- “Why does a place's location in the world affect its climate?”
- “How are the four countries of the UK similar and different?”
- “What is globalisation?”
Each unit combines:
- Explicit teaching of map and fieldwork skills, supported by Oddizzi Virtual Fieldwork (e.g., “Everest Base Camp,” “Amazon Adventure”).
- Use of maps, atlases, and digital resources to strengthen spatial understanding.
- Knowledge organisers and vocabulary lists for each topic.
- Cross-curricular links to science, history, and global citizenship.
- Opportunities to explore sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Impact
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils:
Use geographical vocabulary confidently.
Interpret maps, graphs, and data effectively.
Explain relationships between human and physical geography.
Show curiosity about global issues and suggest solutions.
Assessment focuses on pupils’ ability to answer their enquiry questions.
Curriculum Map
Our geographical journey from Nursery to Year 6 includes:
EYFS: Our community; School Environment; Our Earth; Under the Sea
Year 1: Catford (Local area); Jamaica (Non-European country); Dear Earth: Weather and Seasons
Year 2: United Kingdom; Hot and cold places; London; India: Chandigarh (Non-European country)
Year 3: Volcanoes and Earthquakes; Rivers; Brazil
Year 4: Climate Zones; United Kingdom and Earth’s Natural Resources; France (European Country)
Year 5: Mountains; North America: Biomes, Africa: Nigeria (Non-European country)
Year 6: World Trade; Migration (British History Study)
Fieldwork experiences—mapping the school grounds, local river study, trips to the seaside, visiting France—enhance understanding of real-world geography.
Rathfern Curriculum Overview
To be uploaded soon
Progression of Skills
Pupils develop from naming local features and using basic maps in KS1 to:
- Analysing spatial data and global patterns in KS2.
- Understanding physical processes (e.g., erosion, the water cycle).
- Evaluating sustainability and global interdependence.
- Progression follows the Golden Threads: Settlement, Weather and Climate, Water, Data for Decision Making, Trade, Migration (KS2), Sustainability.
KS1 & KS2 Golden Threads:
ks1 ks2 geography golden threads.pdf
Gallery
y3 geography river workshop .pdf
geography year 2 kathak workshop.pdf
year 4 trip to france 2024.pdf
Useful Links & Documents
Geography Golden Threads
BBC Bitesize at https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z2f3cdm
Oddizzi https://www.oddizzi.com/
