At Westfield, our Geography curriculum is designed to inspire pupils to become curious, explorative thinkers with a broad and diverse understanding of the world — in essence, to think like geographers. We want our learners to develop the confidence to question and observe places, measure and record information in a variety of ways, and analyse and present their findings with increasing independence.

Our curriculum has been carefully developed at Westfield to meet the needs of our learners and to build an awareness of how Geography shapes lives at local, national and global scales, both now and over time. We aim to nurture resourceful, active citizens who have the knowledge and skills to contribute positively to the world around them.

Our Geography curriculum encourages:

Our Geography curriculum enables pupils to meet the end‑of‑key‑stage expectations set out in the National Curriculum. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, learning experiences support children in working towards the Understanding the World Development Matters statements and Early Learning Goals, while laying secure foundations for future geographical learning in Key Stage 1. curriculum alignment

 

At Westfield, our Geography curriculum has been carefully designed to show a clear progression of skills and knowledge within each of these strands. We use the Progression of Skills and Knowledge document outlines what is taught in every year group and how learning builds over time to ensure pupils securely meet end‑of‑key‑stage expectations. Key geographical concepts are woven throughout all units, rather than taught in isolation, helping pupils make meaningful connections across their learning.

Our curriculum follows a spiral structure, meaning essential knowledge and skills are revisited with increasing complexity. This approach enables pupils to strengthen and deepen their understanding over time. Locational knowledge is revisited frequently to consolidate pupils’ understanding of scale, place and spatial relationships.

In the EYFS, our two Geography-focused units provide a strong foundation of geographical knowledge, enquiry and skills. These units include a blend of adult-led and child-initiated activities that can be adapted to complement Reception themes, ensuring children are well prepared for the transition into Key Stage 1.

Cross-curricular links are embedded throughout the curriculum, enabling pupils to apply their geographical understanding in meaningful contexts. Each unit is driven by an enquiry question, encouraging pupils to develop secure geographical knowledge and skills by investigating real issues. These questions are deliberately open-ended, prompting genuine enquiry and purposeful learning. Through this process, pupils learn to collect, interpret and present data using appropriate geographical methods and to make informed decisions based on their findings. 

Every unit includes opportunities to develop geographical skills and fieldwork. Our enquiry cycle reflects the National Curriculum expectations and guides pupils through the process of questioning, observing, measuring, recording and presenting. This ensures pupils learn how to plan investigations, gather data using a range of methods, and communicate their findings effectively to different audiences.

Fieldwork experiences range from small-scale investigations within the school grounds to larger visits exploring human and physical features in the local area. Regular fieldwork helps pupils build confidence, refine their methods and develop a deep understanding of their locality. This strong local grounding provides a valuable reference point when comparing Westfield with other places in the UK and beyond. 

Lessons incorporate a variety of teaching approaches, including independent tasks, paired and group work, practical activities and digital learning. This variety ensures lessons are engaging and accessible to pupils with different learning preferences. Teachers are supported with guidance on adapting lessons to meet diverse needs, and opportunities for challenge are built in to extend pupils’ thinking. Knowledge organisers accompany each unit to support pupils in recalling key facts and vocabulary. teaching approaches

We recognise that strong subject knowledge is essential for delivering a high-quality Geography curriculum. To support this, each unit includes resources to strengthen teacher confidence and understanding, ensuring staff feel equipped to deliver lessons that promote secure progression and deep geographical thinking.

At Westfield, we use a combination of Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategies, ongoing teacher observations and structured assessment tasks to track pupils’ progress in Geography. Teachers gather evidence through class discussions, written work, fieldwork outcomes, mapwork, practical activities and digital presentations. Progress is recorded against our progression documents, enabling teachers to identify pupils who are working at, above or below age‑related expectations. Regular moderation and review ensure consistency across year groups, and this information is used to inform planning, provide targeted support and celebrate achievement. assessment models

By the time pupils leave Westfield Primary School, they will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to continue their geographical learning successfully at Key Stage 3. Our aim is to nurture curious, reflective and responsible young geographers who appreciate the world around them and understand the interconnections between human and physical processes. curious young geographers

The expected impact of our Geography curriculum is that pupils will: