In September 2023, Ofsted published Getting our bearings: Geography subject report offering insights into the teaching of primary Geography in England. 

This comprehensive report covers Geography education across both primary and secondary schools. We have summarised the most relevant points for primary school leaders and teachers.

In this blog we look at:

• Ofsted’s statement on the report
• Positive developments in primary Geography
• Areas for improvement in primary Geography
• Recommendations for schools to improve primary Geography
• How Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme supports Ofsted’s recommendations 

Ofsted’s statement on the report

In the press release following the report, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said: 

“Geography is vital to children’s understanding of our physical world. It’s great that both primary and secondary schools have made such strides in their geography teaching. Pupils are now being taught a much more ambitious and challenging curriculum. I hope that schools can now focus on ensuring that children get more opportunities to develop their data collection and analysis skills so they can master the fundamentals of geography fieldwork.”

Positive developments in primary Geography

Ofsted notes significant improvements in Geography education in the last 12 years since Geography: learning to make a world of difference was published. The new report emphasises that almost all primary schools now teach distinct Geography lessons, elevating the subject’s prominence within school curriculums.

There have been many more positive developments in the teaching of the Geography curriculum, including:

Curriculum content

Curriculum planning has improved; leaders are better at identifying exactly what should be taught and how pupils’ knowledge and capabilities should build over a topic. 

Ofsted found that curriculum content is more ambitious, with more schools including geographical enquiry questions in each topic. 

In most schools, pupils are working towards the same curriculum goals, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 

It was also noted that EYFS children are being introduced to more geographical content, particularly regarding geographical vocabulary.

Teacher knowledge

In most Geography lessons, teachers have the subject knowledge necessary to teach effectively. On the whole, teachers plan for, spot and address misconceptions, and provide rich examples and anecdotes to help bring abstract ideas to life. 

Knowledge recall

In schools where pupil knowledge is strongest, pupils recall knowledge until they are fluent in it and then, later in the lesson, apply this knowledge in a new context.

Teachers are using formative assessment in lessons to check for understanding effectively and are using this information to help plan subsequent lessons. 

Areas for improvement in primary Geography

The report identified several areas in which schools need to develop further to improve the standard of Geography teaching and learning.

Fieldwork skills

In many schools, fieldwork is “underdeveloped” and pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to learn and develop their fieldwork skills. Pupils may go out of school on a visit, but they rarely learn how to collect, present and analyse geographical fieldwork data when they do so. 

Teacher CPD

There is a need for better support and more subject-specific CPD for both specialist and non-specialist teachers. Teachers can “miss pupils’ misconceptions and sometimes even pass them on to the pupils in their class”. 

Teaching and learning time

Evidence collated by Ofsted reveals a “huge variation” in the amount of Geography education primary pupils receive. Some schools have one hour a week for half the year, with others having as much as two hours a week throughout the year.

Knowledge building

Ofsted identified limited knowledge-building across Geography topics. Furthermore, in key stage 1, pupil knowledge does not always go much beyond what pupils have already learnt by the end of Reception. 

The report also highlights disciplinary knowledge (how geographical knowledge is formed, debated and contested) as a weaker area of curriculum thinking in both primary and secondary schools, as key geographical concepts have not been identified beforehand. 

National curriculum coverage

The curriculum in some schools does not match the scope and ambition of the national curriculum. When teaching about ‘place’, Ofsted found schools using outdated and inaccurate resources. 

A further observation about the curriculum is that when schools combine History and Geography into a topic, History usually takes precedence. 

Recommendations for schools to improve primary Geography

The Ofsted report outlines the following suggestions for how schools can ensure that all pupils receive a high-quality Geography education:

• Confirm that the curriculum supports the effective transition between key stages so that content builds cumulatively and is not repeated.
• To strengthen disciplinary knowledge, leaders need to identify geographical concepts that underpin the curriculum and use them in their planning.
• Teach pupils about fieldwork. Pupils should know how to collect, present and analyse data, and reach and evaluate conclusions based on this data.
• Consider the prior knowledge that pupils need to access more complex ideas and concepts to develop their expertise.
• Consider how pupils will build on knowledge, not only within a topic but over a series of topics, so that they can apply what they have learned in different scenarios. 
• Plan how to identify and address likely misconceptions in each topic. 

How does the Kapow Primary Geography scheme support Ofsted’s recommendations?

Kapow Primary Geography was developed following research on the challenges facing teachers. Consequently, there is a strong focus on developing fieldwork skills and providing CPD for teachers and subject leaders. The scheme is designed to be taught for an hour a week over three half-terms. 

The Kapow Primary Geography scheme addresses the recommendations made by Ofsted in several ways:

Supports effective transitions

Planning supports transitions between year groups as well as key stages:

• The Geography: Progression of skills and knowledge document illustrates how knowledge is built upon both within a year group and across key stages.
• We advise that key stage 1 units are taught in a specific order to allow children to develop Geographical concepts that build progressively on what they have learnt in EYFS.
• The skills and knowledge that pupils develop in key stage 2, along with the resources they use, provide a solid foundation for key stage 3 Geography.

Develops fieldwork skills

Every Geography unit includes fieldwork based on enquiry questions as part of the Kapow Primary enquiry cycle. This allows children to apply the skills and knowledge they have learnt during the unit and ensures the development of fieldwork skills. Fieldwork opportunities are accessible with suggestions for alternative locations where relevant. 

Develops teacher knowledge and confidence

Kapow Primary Geography includes integrated CPD in teacher videos and within the ‘teacher knowledge’ section of the lesson plans. These invaluable resources support teachers with subject knowledge and identify possible misconceptions, enabling them to deliver quality lessons with confidence.

Builds pupil knowledge

• Every lesson begins with ‘Recap and recall’ to help children recap on prior learning and make connections between topics.
• A spiral curriculum design ensures that key skills and knowledge are revisited in a progressive way.
• The progression of geographical concepts explains how key geographical concepts are covered and revisited across topics and year groups.
• There are a variety of pupil assessment resources such as:
  ‘Wrapping up’ at the end of every lesson
  Unit quizzes
  Knowledge catchers and skills catchers
  Assessment spreadsheet.

Assessment resources from our Geography unit Year3/4:Why are rainforests important to us? 

The Ofsted report indicates that we are indeed “getting our bearings” when it comes to teaching Geography in primary schools. There have been considerable improvements in the last few years, in particular around curriculum planning. However, some of the suggested recommendations, such as developing fieldwork or upskilling teachers with CPD are difficult to achieve. Kapow Primary Geography has integrated CPD and a fieldwork focus in every unit, making it easier for schools to include these elements in their Geography curriculums and provide a better-quality learning experience.