Geography at Hurst Green is designed to help pupils develop a deep understanding of the world, how places are connected and how people and environments influence one another. Through a carefully sequenced curriculum, pupils build secure geographical knowledge alongside increasingly sophisticated disciplinary thinking, enabling them to understand the physical and human processes that shape our world.

The curriculum is structured around five key strands: Place & Regional Comparison, Location & Mapping, Human Geography, Physical Processes & Patterns and Environment, Sustainability & Change. These strands are revisited throughout the school so that pupils can return to important concepts in greater depth and complexity over time. Pupils begin by exploring their immediate environment and simple maps before progressing to more complex ideas such as trade networks, climate systems, sustainability and global interdependence.

Each unit is enquiry-led and built around a “Big Question” which encourages pupils to think critically, make connections and apply their understanding using maps, sources, data and fieldwork. As pupils move through the curriculum, they progress from identifying and describing geographical features to explaining patterns, analysing relationships and evaluating environmental issues and responses. Vocabulary is carefully mapped across the curriculum to ensure that important geographical language is explicitly taught, revisited and applied in different contexts.

Fieldwork and local geography are integral to the curriculum, helping pupils develop a strong sense of place and community alongside an understanding of wider national and global issues. Through the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to become curious, informed and responsible global citizens who understand the relationships between people, places and environments and the importance of caring for the world around them.