Geography

Geography at Sutton Veny

“The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It’s about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it’s about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together.”

– Barack Obama

Geography education Sutton Veny plays a fundamental role in shaping pupils into informed, empathetic, and active global citizens. Through an engaging curriculum rooted in exploration, critical thinking, and hands-on experiences, we aim to foster a deep understanding of both the local and global environment. Our vision for geography encompasses learning in the following key areas: global citizenship, understanding others, and developing essential fieldwork skills.

Global citizenship: We envision geography as a subject that nurtures a sense of responsibility for the planet and its people. By fostering global citizenship, we prepare pupils to contribute meaningfully to society and understand the global consequences of local actions.

Understanding Others: A core aim of geography education is to deepen pupils' understanding of the world’s physical and human landscapes. Understanding others through geography not only enriches children's cultural awareness but also strengthens their ability to engage with global issues with compassion and curiosity.

Fieldwork: Geography learning is brought to life through fieldwork, allowing pupils to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world contexts. Fieldwork enhances critical thinking, fosters curiosity, and helps children build a lifelong connection with their environment.

The EFYS will begin to explore the world around them, and their place within it. Within Key Stage One, the children will develop their knowledge of the UK and how our local area fits within this, progressing to make comparisons to daily life in other areas: Kenya, Antarctica, Japan.  

Within Key Stage Two, the children continue to develop their map and fieldwork skills and further explore their lives compared to others across the globe, whilst also increasing their understanding of the human and physical geography of key places. We aim to develop a curiosity to ask questions and consider  and challenge their choices and impact on the world. They cover the following topics: Cocoa and Fairtrade, Wiltshire at War, Rainforests, Ancient Treasures, Raging Rivers, Europe in WW2, Natural Disasters, Gold Discovery
 

Geography Policy

Geography Progression

Our geography curriculum is structured around key questions and targeted vocabulary to ensure a focused approach to learning. Key vocabulary is prominently displayed in classrooms to support understanding and encourage its integration into pupils’ work. Learning objectives are guided by Bloom’s Taxonomy, helping students develop essential lifelong skills such as comparing, contrasting, justifying, evaluating, and arguing. This approach ensures a rich and skill-based learning experience that equips students for the future. By the end of Year 6, students at Sutton Veny CofE Primary School will have developed a strong sense of place and pride in their local area, confidently interpret maps to enhance their global understanding, and exhibit curiosity about the world with an awareness of their environmental impact. They will respect diverse cultures and the physical environment, understand various global environments and physical processes, and be able to locate and describe human and physical features of different regions.