Geography
At Herons Dale, Geography helps pupils make sense of the world around them by exploring people, places, environments and communities. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils develop an understanding of their immediate surroundings, the wider United Kingdom and the world beyond. Geography provides opportunities for pupils to investigate, experience and interact with different environments through practical, sensory and real-life learning experiences.
Our curriculum enables pupils to explore physical and human geography through themes including weather, local environments, the United Kingdom, coasts, islands, natural environments, water, sustainability, journeys and global locations. Pupils learn through exploration, fieldwork, sensory experiences, enquiry and first-hand experiences that make learning meaningful and relevant to their lives.
Geography is an inclusive subject that supports communication, independence and preparation for adulthood. Learning is carefully adapted to meet individual needs and encourages pupils to develop curiosity, environmental awareness and an appreciation of different people, cultures and places. Through Geography, we aim to develop pupils who are inquisitive, engaged and confident in understanding their place within their communities and the wider world.
How Geography Develops Across Our Pathways
Discoverers
Our youngest and most complex learners access Geography through rich sensory experiences and exploration of familiar people, places and environments. Pupils investigate natural materials, weather, water, plants and local environments through play, outdoor learning, sensory stories and shared experiences. The focus is on engagement, awareness, communication and developing curiosity about the world around them.
Explorers
Pupils experience a wide range of places and environments through practical activities, visits, stories and sensory exploration. They begin to recognise familiar locations, follow routes, observe changes in weather and seasons, and compare different environments such as towns, seaside locations and natural habitats. Learning focuses on participation, recognition and developing awareness of people, places and journeys.
Adventurers and Voyagers
As pupils progress, they investigate places in greater depth through fieldwork, map work and geographical enquiry. They explore human and physical features, compare environments, follow routes, create simple maps and develop geographical vocabulary. Pupils begin to understand how people interact with different environments and how places can be similar or different.
Pioneers
Formal learners follow a structured and progressive geography curriculum that develops both geographical knowledge and enquiry skills. Pupils investigate the United Kingdom and the wider world, use maps and geographical tools, undertake fieldwork, study physical features such as volcanoes and coasts, and explore environmental issues including sustainability and recycling. They develop the ability to collect, analyse and communicate geographical information with increasing independence.
Navigators
Pupils in the Navigator cohort access Geography through a flexible curriculum that connects places and environments with their own lives. Local visits, community activities, maps, photographs and practical fieldwork help pupils develop knowledge of familiar places before exploring the wider world. Carefully structured experiences support regulation, communication, independence and confidence when moving through the community.
What Pupils Learn
Across the school, pupils learn to:
- explore and investigate a range of places, environments and communities
- develop understanding of local, national and global locations
- identify human and physical geographical features
- use maps, photographs, symbols and other geographical resources
- participate in fieldwork and first-hand geographical investigations
- observe and understand weather, seasons and environmental change
- develop awareness of sustainability, recycling and caring for the environment
- compare places and recognise similarities and differences between environments
- communicate geographical understanding using increasingly ambitious vocabulary
- develop curiosity, independence and confidence when exploring the wider world
Cultural Capital and Enrichment
Geography plays a key role in broadening pupils’ understanding of the world beyond their immediate experiences. Through visits, fieldwork, local walks, community exploration and outdoor learning, pupils develop first-hand knowledge of different environments and communities. Learning is enriched through experiences of local coastal areas, towns, natural habitats, school grounds and places within the wider community.
Pupils explore different regions of the United Kingdom, learn about diverse places and cultures, and investigate how environments can vary across the world. These experiences help develop respect for diversity, environmental responsibility and an appreciation of global citizenship.
Preparing for Adulthood and British Values
Through Geography, pupils develop skills that support them beyond school. They learn how to navigate familiar environments, understand their local community and make sense of the wider world around them. Opportunities to explore routes, use maps, follow journeys and participate in fieldwork help develop independence and confidence.
Geography also promotes environmental awareness, responsibility, communication, observation and problem-solving. These experiences help prepare pupils to engage with their communities, make informed decisions and participate confidently as active members of society