The aims of Geography within the primary curriculum for Danes Educational Trust are to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the world around them and to develop their understanding of how people, places, and environments are interconnected. The curriculum aims to equip pupils with the skills to ask thoughtful questions, think critically, and interpret geographical information. It encourages pupils to build a coherent knowledge of their local area, the United Kingdom, and the wider world. Through engaging and purposeful learning experiences, it fosters a sense of place, global awareness, and an appreciation of the physical and human features that shape our planet over time.
The disciplinary concepts (DC) that we focus on across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are:
| DC1: Questioning | DC2: Finding things out | DC3: Applying |
| Understanding how geographers think about the world | Understanding how geographers discover information through collection, interpretation and analysis | Understanding how geographical knowledge is used to explain and address current-world issues |
Each unit of Geography that pupils study across Key Stage One and Key Stage Two has one main disciplinary concept that underpins the sequence and learning of that unit. Additionally, each unit has other additional disciplinary concepts which are covered in some way throughout the unit, although are not the specific focus for assessment. The table below provides an overview of how each of the units has a main disciplinary concept (marked with *) and the additional concepts also covered in part. Overall, the table summarises the continual revisiting of the key concepts both vertically and horizontally across and within year groups, as well as concepts in their own right. As a result, pupils are able to make links between units and learning overtime of these key disciplinary concepts as they learn to ‘think like a geographer’.
Substantive knowledge
We focus on substantive knowledge and key geographical concepts in Geography to give pupils a solid foundation in understanding places, environments, and the relationships between people and the planet. This knowledge helps them build a clear and connected view of the world, while disciplinary concepts such as place, scale, and human–environment interaction support deeper thinking and understanding. Together, they enable pupils to make meaningful connections, ask informed geographical questions, and develop a strong sense of spatial awareness and global responsibility.
There are four overarching substantive concepts (SC) that we want our pupils to gain understanding of by the end of Key Stage 2. They learn these substantive concepts through repeated encounters, with meaningful examples that develop in depth and complexity as the years progress. These overarching substantive concepts are: Locational knowledge, place knowledge, environmental, physical and human geography and geographical skills and fieldwork.
Geography Curriculum Map 2025/2026
geography_curriculum_map_25_26.pdf
EYFS links to geography
