The geography curriculum incorporates essential knowledge and skills, allowing pupils to build on these in secondary school and beyond. In KS1 essential skills and knowledge is introduced, so that a firm foundation is developed. The Local Environment and Kenya unit feeds into the UK unit by supporting pupils’ understanding of human and physical features in the UK and a contrasting-non-European country. The Weather, Coasts and Continents units draw on themes, including polar regions and fieldwork, which will be explored in KS2.

An introduction to settlements, tectonic processes and continents introduce LKS2 pupils to concepts, vocabulary, skills and knowledge which is built on in UKS2, providing them with vital foundations for much of their future geographical learning. When pupils study City Living in UKS2, they will utilise their knowledge of settlement types in order to deepen their understanding of migration and comprehension of why communities develop. This knowledge and understanding will support their understanding of Global Marketplace. Here, they will develop their understanding of natural resources and how greater sustainability can be achieved.

The Rivers and Our World units in UKS2 follows on from the Water, Weather and Climate unit and pupils then continue to build on this knowledge of physical processes through the Biomes and Climate Zones unit. The fieldwork that takes place during these UKS2 topics, builds on the Fieldwork topic in LKS2 so that pupils have a good understanding of research across KS2.