Geography
Geography at Joseph Hood Primary School is a carefully tailored subject designed to meet the needs of our pupils while fulfilling the expectations of the National Curriculum. We believe that geography provides children with a unique lens through which they can understand their local environment, the wider world, and the complex interactions between people and places. Our curriculum is built to be broad, balanced and progressive, developing knowledge and skills year-on-year while also inspiring curiosity, critical thinking and a sense of responsibility for the planet.
The key goals of geography at Joseph Hood are to promote a secure understanding of the world, to encourage pupils to value cultural diversity and respect different perspectives, and to foster an awareness of the environmental challenges facing our planet. Ultimately, we want pupils to see themselves as active global citizens who can make positive contributions at local, national and international levels.
Our approach to geography is shaped by our school values, which we capture through the acronym INSPIRE. This reflects how we want pupils to experience and engage with the subject:
How we INSPIRE
Inclusive
Geography at Joseph Hood is designed to be accessible to every child. Lessons are adapted so that all pupils, regardless of ability or background, can explore the world and see themselves reflected in the curriculum. By learning about diverse places, cultures and communities, children develop respect and understanding for others.
Nurturing
Our geography curriculum nurtures curiosity and a sense of wonder. From exploring their immediate environment in the Early Years to investigating global challenges in Key Stage 2, children are supported to grow in confidence as thinkers, investigators and responsible citizens.
Success
We celebrate success in geography by building knowledge and skills step by step. Children leave Joseph Hood with the ability to use maps, interpret data, carry out fieldwork and communicate their findings clearly. Their achievements help prepare them for secondary school and for life as informed global citizens.
Perseverance
Geography encourages children to tackle complex questions about people, places and the planet. Whether investigating environmental change, analysing maps or carrying out fieldwork, pupils learn to persevere when faced with challenges and to value the process of enquiry as much as the outcome.
Imagination
Studying geography expands pupils’ imagination. From picturing distant landscapes to considering innovative solutions to global issues such as climate change, geography inspires children to think creatively about the world and their place within it.
Respect
Geography fosters respect for people, cultures and environments. Through learning about different communities and the impact of human actions on the natural world, children develop empathy and a sense of responsibility for protecting our planet.
Encourage
We encourage children to see themselves as active participants in shaping the future. Geography shows pupils that their choices matter, whether reducing waste, supporting sustainability or understanding migration, and that they can make a positive difference locally and globally.
Impact
The study of geography at Joseph Hood has a clear end point: we want pupils to leave our school with the knowledge, skills and values that will allow them to navigate and make sense of the world. By the end of Year 6, pupils will be confident in their locational and place knowledge, able to compare and contrast environments, and equipped with a strong understanding of human and physical geography. They will have developed skills in enquiry, map work and fieldwork that enable them to investigate questions independently and communicate their findings clearly.
Across the school, 84% of pupils are achieving or exceeding expectations in Geography, including over 91% in Years 1 and 2—showcasing the strength of our early teaching and progression.
Beyond knowledge and skills, geography enables our pupils to develop respect for cultural diversity, empathy for different communities and an appreciation of the interconnectedness of people and environments. Environmental awareness is threaded through our teaching so that pupils understand issues such as climate change, sustainability and resource use, and feel empowered to make positive choices. Our ultimate aim is for children to leave Joseph Hood with a love of geography, a fascination with the world and a strong sense of their role in shaping its future.
Intent
Our intent is to provide a geography curriculum that is ambitious, inclusive and engaging. It is firmly rooted in the National Curriculum but designed to go further by reflecting the local context of our school, celebrating cultural diversity and placing sustainability at its heart. Each unit of work is carefully planned to build on prior knowledge so that learning is sequenced and progressive across the school. Key concepts and skills are revisited and deepened over time, giving pupils the opportunity to make meaningful connections and apply their understanding in new contexts.
Through this approach, we aim to nurture curiosity and a spirit of enquiry, encouraging children to ask questions and investigate the world around them. Our intent is not only that pupils gain knowledge of places, processes and environments, but also that they develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will prepare them for the challenges of the future.