Geography
Subject leader - Mrs A. Potts
Vision for Geography
At Kempshott Junior School, our Geography curriculum is designed to be ambitious, knowledge-rich and inclusive, enabling all pupils to develop as curious, informed and responsible global citizens. We aim for all children to develop a secure understanding of the world around them, from their local area to the wider global community, while fostering a sense of curiosity about people, places and environments.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that pupils build secure geographical knowledge and understanding over time through a carefully sequenced curriculum in which key concepts are revisited, connected and applied in increasingly complex contexts. Through the study of both physical and human geography, pupils develop substantive knowledge about locations, environments, processes and geographical features, alongside disciplinary knowledge that enables them to think and work as geographers. This includes asking questions, analysing evidence, interpreting maps and data, drawing conclusions and communicating geographical understanding.
Geography is taught through an enquiry-based approach, with each unit centred around a carefully planned enquiry question. These enquiry questions encourage pupils to investigate geographical concepts, make connections between places and processes, and develop critical thinking skills. Through exploration, discussion and evidence-based reasoning, pupils learn to construct and justify their own geographical understanding.
The curriculum enables pupils to progressively develop and apply key geographical skills, including map reading, fieldwork skills, data collection and interpretation. Knowledge and skills are revisited and built upon throughout Key Stage 2, ensuring that pupils know more, remember more and can apply their learning with increasing confidence and fluency.
Reading, writing and language are integral to the geography curriculum. Pupils engage with a range of maps, photographs and sources of information, while developing the subject-specific vocabulary needed to explain, discuss and evaluate geographical concepts. Opportunities to analyse information, debate issues and communicate findings support pupils in becoming effective and articulate learners.
Our curriculum reflects a ‘windows and mirrors’ approach, ensuring that pupils see their own communities and experiences represented within their learning while also developing an understanding of diverse places, cultures and environments across the world. Through this, pupils develop respect for different perspectives and a deeper appreciation of the interconnected nature of our world.
We are committed to ensuring that all pupils can access the full Geography curriculum. Through adaptive teaching, including modelling, scaffolding and appropriate support, barriers are removed without lowering ambition. This ensures that every child can successfully engage in geographical enquiry and develop as a confident geographer.
Through our Geography curriculum, pupils develop secure geographical knowledge, strong enquiry skills and an understanding of the relationship between people and places. They leave Kempshott Junior School equipped with the curiosity, confidence and awareness needed to engage thoughtfully with the world around them and succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond.
Our Curriculum
The long-term curriculum overview shows the Geography units children study in each year group. Our progression document explains how pupils build on their previous learning, developing their knowledge and understanding of places, people and environments, alongside their map skills and fieldwork techniques, as they move through Key Stage 2.
What Children Learn
Select a year group to explore the units and available knowledge organisers. Further knowledge organisers will be added during 2027.
Year 3
Should the Douglas family move to Kempshott?
In this unit we will learn about Kempshott’s natural and human-made features, settlements and land use. We will use maps, aerial photographs and local fieldwork to explain whether the area would be a suitable place for the Douglas family to live.
Where do mountains come from?
In this unit we will learn about the structure of the Earth and how moving tectonic plates form fold mountains. We will locate major mountain ranges using maps and atlases and describe their locations using compass directions.
Why do we not have rainforests in the UK?
In this unit we will learn how location affects climate and the plants that grow in different parts of the world. We will explore the Equator, Tropics and hemispheres, comparing a UK woodland with a tropical rainforest to explain why rainforests grow in some places but not in the UK.
Year 4
How does our local river change from source to mouth?
In this unit we will learn how rivers change as they flow downstream, exploring erosion, deposition and the water cycle. We will use maps, four-figure grid references and fieldwork to observe and measure river features and investigate how surrounding land use changes.
Why is Alençon the twin town of Basingstoke?
In this unit we will learn about Alençon in France and compare it with Basingstoke. We will investigate the towns’ natural features, settlements, land use, climate and economic activity, using geographical evidence to explain their twinning link.
Year 5
What are the natural resources of North America?
In this unit we will learn about North America’s countries, landscapes, climate and natural resources. We will use compass directions, latitude and longitude to describe locations and explore how climate and natural environments influence where resources are found and how people use them.
Where did my ice-cream come from and what is the environmental impact?
In this unit we will learn where food ingredients come from and how they reach the UK. We will explore imports, exports and food miles, investigating how food production and transport affect the environment and how we can make more sustainable choices.
Year 6
Where would be the best place to build my playground?
In this unit we will learn how to investigate and compare possible locations for a playground. We will use Ordnance Survey maps, digital mapping, six-figure grid references and local fieldwork to collect and analyse evidence and justify our chosen location.
What is the Ring of Fire and where is it?
In this unit we will learn about the Pacific Ring of Fire and how moving tectonic plates cause volcanoes and earthquakes. We will use maps, atlases, latitude and longitude to locate affected areas and explain why these natural events are concentrated along plate boundaries.
