Geography

Filter By:

We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to explore and connect with the world around them, and geography plays a key role in making that possible.

Our geography lessons are thoughtfully adapted to provide meaningful, inclusive learning experiences. Whether it's learning about local landmarks, understanding different types of weather, or exploring world cultures, geography helps students build a sense of place, identity, and global awareness. We use a wide range of multi-sensory resources - from tactile maps and interactive displays to sensory materials and visual aids—so that every child can access learning in a way that works for them. For some, that might mean feeling the texture of sand while learning about deserts, while for others it could be exploring videos of different environments or using symbols and assistive technology to communicate what they’ve learned.

Geography also supports key areas of development:

  • Communication and language skills through discussion, description, and naming places and features

  • Cognitive development through matching, sorting, and recognising patterns in the world

  • Emotional and social understanding by exploring different communities and cultures, promoting empathy and inclusion

  • Life skills such as orientation, navigation, and understanding the local environment—all of which encourage independence

Most importantly, geography encourages curiosity, wonder, and connection. It invites all learners to ask questions, experience the world in new ways, and develop an appreciation for the environment and the people who share it. We are committed to making geography accessible, engaging, and relevant for all our students - because every child has a right to understand their world.

Blue Pathway

Geography topics are linked to the ‘My World’ area of the curriculum framework. Learning takes place in a multi-sensory and experiential manner. Pupils will be encouraged to explore and gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the world around them. This may involve making changes to their local environment, for example through planting trees or flowers. Learning takes place with links to inspiring topics and familiar texts.

Jsgeog(1)

Green Pathway

Geography is delivered through the ‘My World’ area of the curriculum. Learning is primarily cross-curricular and integrated across various areas of the weekly timetable. For example, pupils may explore geographical concepts through outdoor learning experiences or develop an understanding of the wider environment via educational visits. Where appropriate, content may also be delivered through discrete Geography lessons tailored to the needs of the learners.

Purple Pathway

1greengeog  

Geography is taught within the ‘My World’ area of the Purple Pathway Curriculum Framework. It is delivered in a contextual and meaningful manner, drawing on links to topics and familiar texts that inspire and challenge learners. Activities range from exploring the school and its grounds to exploring wider geographical topics such as climate change. Teaching is adapted to meet the individual needs of learners and classes.

Yellow Pathway

IMG 0009

Geography is taught through discrete lessons. Learning takes place through topic based work and is brought to life through geographical fieldwork opportunities including map reading, planning and going on visits, orienteering and exploring the local environment. 

We sequence lessons to ensure that students have covered the skills required to meet the aims of the national curriculum, making adaptations for their learning needs. The content allows for a broader, deeper understanding of the four areas of geography identified in the national curriculum. They develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places and understanding of the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, along with how they bring about variation and change over time. Pupils develop curiosity and a fascination of the world and its people. Lessons improve children’s geographical vocabulary, map skills and geographical knowledge.

Geography Annual Plan

Progression

We have adapted the National Curriculum framework to meet the wide ranging needs of our pupils. Across all Pathways, learners have a range of opportunities to experience geography through practical engaging tasks beyond the classroom. Below is a snapshot of the type of learning outcomes our pupils work towards.

Blue Pathway

  • Use all of their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials
  • Experience sensory experiences related to different environments in our world eg jungle, ocean etc.
  • Have an understanding of familiar environments and be able to access them.
  • Begin to tolerate new and unfamiliar environments.
  • Notice animals in the world around them.
  • Anticipate a familiar route
  • Experience and respond to different weather patterns.

Green Pathway

  • Find areas in a familiar environment, located by need e.g. where we cook, where we collect the dinners, where we do PE.
  • Actively seek to engage in and explore aspects of unfamiliar environments.
  • Recognise and identify animals and pets in the world around them.
  • Respond to adult modelling and prompts about appropriate behaviour in a community setting.
  • Can say what the weather is today.
  • Understand that there are places away from their immediate environment.
  • Begin to distinguish between simple features of different environments.
  • Contribute to recycling by putting items in the green box or helping to empty recycling boxes.

Purple Pathway

  • Begin to use maps and recognise physical and human features to do with the local area, building to using maps to explore the continents and oceans of the world
  • Begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe and ask and answer geographical questions
  • Know that there are different countries in the world and talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photos
  • Discuss routes and locations, using words like ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’
  • Know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions
  • Know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. Begin to communicate about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another

Yellow Pathway

  • Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop
  • Use world maps, atlases and globes to identify countries, continents and oceans
  • Use simple compass directions and locational and directional to describe the location of features and routes on a map
  • Devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
  • Use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of the surrounding area, including key human and physical features, using a range of methods
  • Develop map skills further using digital maps, more keys and symbols
  • Begin to further develop fieldwork skills
  • Name, locate and identify characteristics of the four countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas
  • Compare the UK with a contrasting country
  • Compare a local city/town in the UK with a contrasting city/town in a different country
  • Use key vocabulary to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in this strand: South America, London, Brasilia, compare, capital city, China, Asia, country, population, weather, similarities, differences, farming, culture, Africa, Kenya, Nairobi, river, desert, volcano.
  • Name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans

Impact

Impact is seen in a multitude of ways. With some of our learners, we may see increases in explorative skills, interaction, engagement and attention or showing curiosity when exploring an unfamiliar environment. Other students may show the impact of geographical learning through an increased vocabulary, development of specific knowledge and skills or the ability to have a conversation with someone about places they have visited.

Whatever the starting point of the young person, the impact of our curriculum is that they are able to interact more positively with the people, environments and places of our world.

Back