At GEMS, our Geography curriculum—supported by the Kapow Geography scheme—aims to ensure that every child grows into a confident and inquisitive geographer. Through Kapow’s rich and carefully sequenced programme, we help pupils build strong geographical knowledge and develop a wide range of skills that could inspire them to become conservationists, town planners, weather forecasters, cartographers, or pursue many other global and environmental careers.
Our intention is to provide a meaningful platform from which children can explore, appreciate and understand the world around them, recognising how both the Earth and human societies have evolved over time. Geography is inherently an investigative subject, and through Kapow’s enquiry-led approach, pupils build a deepening understanding of key concepts, knowledge and fieldwork skills. We aim to foster a lifelong curiosity and fascination about the world and its people—an interest that continues well beyond their primary years.
We strive to develop children's understanding of diverse places, people, environments and resources, helping them appreciate the interconnections between the natural world and human activity. Through this, pupils gain insight into the Earth’s significant physical and human processes, forming the foundations of a robust and successful Geography curriculum.
At Godfrey Ermen, Geography is taught in alternate half-term blocks, allowing pupils the time and space to engage deeply with each unit. This structure supports strong knowledge retention and ensures that learning is meaningful and long-lasting. Our Kapow-aligned curriculum progresses from a secure understanding of the local area, before moving outward to explore the UK, and eventually the wider world—a pattern mirrored in every year group.
Each year group studies three Geography themes per year, and these have been carefully planned so that children revisit, strengthen and build upon their skills and knowledge throughout their time at Godfrey Ermen. Each year’s sequence includes a Local Area Study, a UK-focused unit, and then a World Geography study—moving thoughtfully from the familiar to the global.
Across all units, children develop understanding in three core geographical concepts:
Locational & Place Knowledge
Human & Physical Geography
Geographical Skills & Fieldwork