Year 1 Geography: What to Teach (England)

Your Teacher Information Pack for Year 1 Geography: every national curriculum statement, the tests and dates that matter, and trusted links. Tick what you're teaching and send it straight into the lesson plan maker.

The KS1 programme of study for this subject covers the whole key stage; schools decide what to teach in which year.

Current. The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (Nov 2025) says a revised national curriculum will be published by spring 2027 for first teaching from September 2028.

What to teach

Below is the official programme of study for Year 1 Geography: the statutory statements first, then any non-statutory notes and guidance, which schools don't have to follow.

Key stage 1 11 statutory statements

Introduction to Key stage 1 (official text)

Pupils should develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They should understand basic subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.

Pupils should be taught to:

Locational knowledge Statutory

Pupils should be taught to:

• name and locate the world’s 7 continents and 5 oceans
• name, locate and identify characteristics of the 4 countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas

Read this on GOV.UK

Place knowledge Statutory

Pupils should be taught to:

• understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area of the United Kingdom, and of a small area in a contrasting non-European country

Read this on GOV.UK

Human and physical geography Statutory

Pupils should be taught to:

• identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles
• use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to:
  • key physical features, including: beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather
  • key human features, including: city, town, village, factory, farm, house, office, port, harbour and shop

Read this on GOV.UK

Geographical skills and fieldwork Statutory

Pupils should be taught to:

• use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans studied at this key stage
• use simple compass directions (north, south, east and west) and locational and directional language [for example, near and far, left and right], to describe the location of features and routes on a map
• use aerial photographs and plan perspectives to recognise landmarks and basic human and physical features; devise a simple map; and use and construct basic symbols in a key
• use simple fieldwork and observational skills to study the geography of their school and its grounds and the key human and physical features of its surrounding environment

Read this on GOV.UK

Assessments and key dates

There are no national tests or checks in Year 1. Your school will use its own assessments.

Official documents

• National curriculum: geography programmes of study (GOV.UK)

Trusted free resources

• Oak National Academy – Free, full lesson sequences for KS1 (government-funded).
• BBC Bitesize – Short videos and quizzes by key stage and subject.

Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.

More packs

Other subjects in Year 1: English, Maths, Science, Art and Design, Computing, Design and Technology, History, Music, PE.

Find another TIP · National curriculum overview

Questions teachers ask