Geography (from the Ancient Greek, meaning ‘a description of the earth’ )  

National Curriculum 2014:  a high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a 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 knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, 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 framework and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and change over time.

At St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School we are proud that our pupils have links with a number of countries around the world and they approach geography lessons with enthusiasm, keen to learn more about the world around them.   Geography is essentially about understanding the world we live in. It helps to provoke and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world. 

At St Thomas’ Primary School the children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. The geography curriculum enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferrable to other curriculum areas. Geography is an investigative, enquiry led subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills and helps us to understand people better and know about different places and environments worldwide. Our lessons encourage and inspire all our pupils to be inquisitive and fascinated about the world around them. 

       Year 5 River Studies

Y6 Comparing two different coastal formations - estuary and cliffs.

St Thomas' believes that it is important that children develop the skills of a geographer by fully immersing them in all areas of the subject. The local area is fully utilised to achieve desired outcomes, with opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practise. School trips and fieldwork are provided to give first hand experiences, which enhance children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality.