Geography at St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School

At St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, we are passionate about equipping children with the knowledge and skills to understand and appreciate the world around them. Our geography curriculum follows the CUSP Geography Curriculum, which provides a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich approach to ensure progression, engagement, and critical thinking.

Intent

Our geography curriculum aims to:

• Foster a love of geography by exploring diverse places, people, resources, and natural and human environments.
• Equip children with geographical skills to investigate, interpret, and communicate their understanding of the world.
• Develop an understanding of key geographical concepts, such as location, place, scale, and sustainability.
• Build locational knowledge and map skills, enabling children to confidently interpret and create maps, charts, and diagrams.

Implementation

• Knowledge-Rich Curriculum: The CUSP Geography Curriculum is designed to deepen understanding by focusing on key themes such as physical and human geography, environmental processes, and the interconnections between people and places.
• Structured Progression: Each year group builds on prior knowledge while introducing new geographical concepts and case studies, ensuring cumulative learning.
• Engaging Units: Pupils explore exciting topics such as rivers, mountains, biomes, settlements, and global trade. They investigate real-world issues such as climate change and sustainability, making learning relevant and meaningful.
• Fieldwork Opportunities: Children engage in practical, hands-on learning through fieldwork, developing observational, recording, and analytical skills.
• Assessment and Support: Progress is monitored regularly, with targeted support provided to ensure all children succeed.

Supporting SEND Learners in Geography

At St Catherine’s, we are committed to ensuring all children can access and enjoy the geography curriculum. To achieve this, we:

• Adapt Tasks: Activities are scaffolded to support learners with SEND, ensuring accessibility while maintaining high expectations.
• Visual and Practical Resources: Use of maps, globes, videos, and visual aids supports understanding and engagement.
• Focus on Key Knowledge: Repetition and consolidation of core ideas ensure all pupils can build a secure foundation for future learning.
• Encourage Participation: Discussions, group work, and hands-on activities ensure every child can contribute to and engage with lessons.

Impact

• Informed Geographers: By the time they leave St Catherine’s, pupils have a deep understanding of significant geographical processes, places, and interconnections.
• High Standards: Our pupils consistently demonstrate strong geographical knowledge and skills, reflecting the rigorous and engaging curriculum.
• Confident Thinkers: Pupils develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, enabling them to interpret the world around them and address challenges such as sustainability and environmental change.

Key Topics by Year Group

• Year 1: Continents and Oceans; Hot and Cold Places; Local Geography and Mapping
• Year 2: Comparing London (UK) and Nairobi (Kenya); Human and Physical Features of the Local Area
• Year 3: Local Area Study; Human and Physical Features of the UK
• Year 4: Rivers and the Water Cycle; Latitude and Longitude
• Year 5: Biomes, Environmental Regions, and Climate Zones; Grid References and Fieldwork
• Year 6: Earthquakes, Mountains, and Volcanoes; Comparison Study of the UK, Europe, and North America

EYFS and Early Key Stage 1

In EYFS and Year 1, children begin their geographical journey by exploring their immediate surroundings. They observe seasonal changes, describe local environments, and begin to understand differences between their own locality and other places in the world.

Resources and Enrichment

• High-Quality Resources: Lessons are enriched with maps, atlases, globes, and CUSP’s Thinking Geography tasks.
• Fieldwork Opportunities: Pupils engage in hands-on experiences to apply their geographical skills in real-world contexts.
• Parental Engagement: Families are encouraged to support their child’s learning through outdoor exploration, discussions, and shared reading.

At St Catherine’s, we are proud of the achievements of our pupils in geography and their enthusiasm for exploring the world. For more information about our geography curriculum, or to arrange a visit, please contact the school office.