Why do we teach Geography at Leatherhead Trinity?

At Leatherhead Trinity we teach geography to help children make sense of the world around them and understand their place within it.  Geography encourages curiosity about different places, people and environments, both locally and globally.

Through geography, children learn how the world works, how human and physical features shape our environment, and how people’s actions can affect the planet. Pupils develop important skills such as observation, map reading, problem-solving and enquiry, which support learning across the curriculum.

Geography also helps children to:

• Develop a sense of identity and belonging through learning about their local area
• Understand and respect different cultures, communities and ways of life
• Build awareness of environmental issues and sustainability
• Become informed, responsible and thoughtful global citizens

By the time children leave Leatherhead Trinity, they will have the knowledge, skills and confidence to explore the world, ask geographical questions and understand the challenges facing our planet today.

How we teach Geography at Leatherhead Trinity

At Leatherhead Trinity we follow the Kapow scheme, which is adapted to meet the needs of our children.  The geography curriculum is carefully planned to ensure progression of knowledge and skills from Reception to Year 6, helping children to become confident, curious and knowledgeable geographers. 

At Leatherhead Trinity, Geography is taught through:

• Engaging topics and real-world contexts
• Practical activities and enquiry-based learning
• Fieldwork and local area studies
• Cross-curricular links with subjects such as English (reading is embedded into all lessons), maths and science

In our Early years foundation stage (EYFS), geography is taught through the Understanding the World area of learning. Children learn through play, exploration and first-hand experiences. Learning is practical, engaging and closely linked to children’s everyday experiences.  Children will:

• Explore their immediate environment, including the classroom, school and local area
• Talk about where they live and places that are familiar to them
• Begin to recognise similarities and differences between places
• Use simple positional language such as near, far and next to
• Look at simple maps, globes and aerial photographs

Children in Key Stage 1 will begin to develop a broader understanding of the world and basic geographical skills. Children will:

• Learn about the four countries of the United Kingdom and surrounding seas
• Identify and describe physical and human features such as rivers, hills, houses and roads
• Compare their local area with a contrasting place in the UK or another country
• Use simple maps, atlases and globes
• Use basic geographical vocabulary and directional language
• Take part in simple fieldwork, including local area walks

Across Key Stage 2, children build on earlier learning and develop a deeper understanding of geography and the wider world.  Children will:

• Locate countries and major cities around the world, focusing on Europe, North and South America
• Study key physical features and processes, including rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes
• Learn about human geography, such as settlement, land use, trade and economic activity
• Explore how human and physical geography are interconnected
• Use maps, atlases, globes and digital mapping tools with increasing confidence
• Develop fieldwork skills, including collecting, analysing and presenting data