Progression

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Enquiring

• Interact with immediate environment
• Answer questions based on observation
• Begin to ask questions to consolidate understanding
• Use simple atlases and digital maps

• Develop geographical questioning
• Investigate their surroundings
• Make appropriate observations about why things happen
• Use atlases, stories, maps, pictures/photos and internet as sources of information
• Make geographical comparisons between features of different places

• Continue to develop geographical questioning
• Use books, stories, atlases, pictures/photos and internet as sources of information
• Investigate places and themes using more than one scale
• Begin to collect and record written evidence

• Ask and respond to questions and offer their own ideas.
• Use satellite images and aerial photographs
• Investigate places and themes using more than one scale
• Begin to conduct own research with support

• Begin to suggest questions appropriate for investigation
• Begin to use primary and secondary sources of evidence in investigations
•  Investigate places with greater emphasis on scale, longitude/latitude and time zones
• Collect and record evidence unaided

• Develop own investigations within topic
• Use primary and secondary sources of evidence in investigations
• Investigate places with greater emphasis on larger scale, contrasting and distant places
• Collect and record evidence unaided

Interpreting evidence

• Collect objects and use images for evidence

• Begin to interpret a range of information from atlases, maps, digital maps and globes

• Analyse evidence and begin to draw conclusions e.g. make comparisons between two locations
• Interpret a range of information(with greater detail)  from atlases, maps, digital maps and globes

• Analyse evidence and draw conclusions e.g. make comparisons between differing locations
• Interpret a range of information from atlases, maps, digital maps and globes, posing questions derived from sources

• Analyse evidence and draw conclusions e.g. compare historical maps and data trends
• Identify geographical influences on people/everyday life using information from a range of sources

• Analyse evidence and draw conclusions  e.g. from field work data on land use comparing land use/temperature
• Look at geographical patterns and explain reasons behind them

Direction

• Follow directions (Up, down, left/right, forwards/backwards)
• Begin to introduce 4 compass points

• Follow directions (Up, down, left/right, forwards/backwards)
• Independently use 4 compass points

• Use 4 compass points to follow/give directions

• Use 4 compass points to follow/give directions
• Begin to use 8 compass points

• Begin to use 8 compass points
• Begin to relate time zones to east/west

• Use 8 compass points confidently and accurately
• Begin to use 6 figure grid refs

Map making and representation

• Develop own symbols on maps
• Draw picture maps of imaginary places and from stories

• Make simple maps of known locations
• Introduce conventional map symbols on maps
• Begin to understand the need for a key using agreed symbols

• Know why a key is needed
• Use standard symbols
• Make a map of a short route experience with features in correct order
• Make simple scale drawings
• Use letter & number co-ordinates to locate features on a map

• Make a map of a short route experienced with features in correct order
• Make a simple scale drawing
• Confidently use letter and number co-ordinates to locate features on a map

• Independently draw a sketch map using symbols and a key
• Use/recognise OS map symbols
• Begin to use 4 figure coordinates to locate features on a map.
• Use latitude and longitude on atlases and maps
• Begin to draw a variety of thematic maps based on their own data

• Draw a variety of thematic maps based on their own data
• Use 4 figure co-ordinates confidently to locate features on a map.
• Use latitude and longitude on atlas and maps
• Begin to draw plans of increasing complexity
• Recognise and use atlas symbols

Using and understanding maps

• Use simple picture maps to move around a location
• Recognise that maps are specific to a location
• Begin to recognise and use features such as plan/side views
• Use simple atlases and digital maps for retrieval

• Follow basic routes using a map
• Understand a plan view
• Use basic atlases to locate countries
• Use aerial photographs and plans to recognise landmarks

• Locate places on larger scale maps e.g. map of UK/Europe
• Begin to match boundaries on different maps
• Follow a route on a map with some accuracy

• Locate features and landmarks on large scale maps
• Follow a route on a large scale map.

• Compare maps with aerial photographs
• Select a map for a specific purpose
• Begin to use atlases to find out about other features/data of places

• Follow a short route on an OS map
• Describe features shown on OS map. Locate places on a world map
• Use atlases to find out about other features of places (mountain regions, weather patterns)

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Place

• Learn names of some places within/around the UK including home town and UK countries
• Link their homes with other places in their local community
• Know about some present changes that are happening in the local environment

• Locate and name major features on UK map
• Understand that maps can show the world (and landmarks)
• Understand geographical similarities and differences (small area in the UK and small area in a contracting non-European country)

• Begin to identify points on maps A,B and C (grid referencing)
• Understand why there are similarities and differences between places
• Develop an awareness of why places relate to each other

• Begin to identify significant places and environments
• Know about the wider context of places (region, country)
• Develop understanding of why there are similarities and differences between places

• Identify significant places and environments
• Develop understanding of how and why places are connected
• Compare the physical and human features of a region of the UK and a region of North/South America

• Confidently identify significant places and environments
• Compare significant biomes and climate zones

Space

• Understand how places are linked to other places (roads and trains)
• Begin to locate the world’s continents and oceans
• Begin to name and locate the four countries and capital cities of the UK

• Name, locate and identify the four countries and capital cities of the UK
• Locate the world’s continents and oceans
• Name, locate and identify the four countries and capital cities of the UK

• Identify where countries are within the UK and their key topographical features
• Name and locate the significant places and features within the British Isles

• Recognise the different shapes of the continents
• Demonstrate knowledge of features in places around them and beyond the UK
• Identify where countries are within Europe
• Recognise the impact that location and environment has on people’s lives
• Know how the locality is set within a wider geographical context
• Identify and describe the significance of time zones including night and day and the position and significance of longitude and latitude

• Recognise the different shapes of the countries
• Identify the physical characteristics and key topographical features of the countries within North/South America
• Know about the wider context of places
• Know and describe where a variety of places are in relation to physical and human features
• Name, locate and identify features of the world through exploring trade routes

• Locate the world’s countries using maps to focus on the world concentrating on biomes and climate zones

Environment

• Describe seasonal weather changes
• Identify daily weather patterns in the UK

• Locate hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the equator and north and south poles
• Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical and human features

• Identify physical and human features of the locality and the British Isles
• Describe the key features of rivers, lakes, oceans and the water cycle and how they are linked
• Understand the physical features of coasts and begin to understand erosion and deposition
• Describe and understand key aspects of human geography including types of settlement

• Understand how humans affect the environment over time
• Know about changes to the world environments over time
• Describe and understand key aspects of physical geography in relation to volcanoes and earthquakes

• Describe and understand key aspects of human geography including trade links and the distribution of natural resources
• Understand why people seek to manage and sustain their environment
• Know about changes to the world environments over time

• Understand why people seek to manage and sustain their environment
• Describe and understand key aspects of human geography including climate zones and biomes