Geography at Portsdown Primary School and Early Years

At Portsdown Primary School and Early Years we believe that Geography should inspire pupils with curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with skills to investigate places discovering their similarities and differences. Our Geography lessons teach knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments. Geography must also provide a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As children progress through our school, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the frameworks and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

Geography in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):  the Nursery and Year R

 Geography in the Nursery and Year R is a key part of the ‘Understanding the World’ area of the EYFS Curriculum (although there are also key links to the Mathematics area of the EYFS Curriculum).  Within the provision at Portsdown Primary School and Early Years, the children in EYFS will explore their immediate locality in terms of places around the school and grounds and further afield, for example, the local area. They will look at familiar features such as houses, farms and shops as well as encountering distant places through topics and stories. As part of their learning the children will look at the weather regularly, becoming familiar with types of weather and how weather affects them. 

EYFS Statutory Framework

Key Stage 1

At Portsdown Primary School and Early Years, the children will develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Key Stage 2

At Portsdown Primary School and Early Years, the children will be supported to extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They will be supported to develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.

Finding out about the rainforests (Marwell).


Comparing Staunton Country Park and its local area to our local area.

Geography  School Overview

Geography progression document

National Curriculum for Geography