We may be a little way from the sea, but that doesn't stop our children investigating what makes a coastline change.

In Year 2, pupils create their own erosion experiments. They watch what happens, ask new questions and use their discoveries to understand the coastal places they study. That spirit of curiosity runs through geography at Bloxham: children learn to look closely at the world, investigate it for themselves and wonder what lies beyond the places they know.

The world on our doorstep

Geography begins with familiar places. In Foundation, children notice the changing seasons in Signs of Spring and explore where food comes from in Ready Steady Grow. In Year 1’s Our Wonderful World, they discover maps and compass points while identifying features of their local area.

As children grow, Bloxham becomes a place for deeper investigation. Year 3 pupils explore local land use in One Planet, Our World. Year 4 have visited The Gogs to investigate rivers and their physical features as part of Misty Mountain, Winding River. Older pupils study local settlements and use fieldwork to explore road safety. A familiar walk can become an opportunity to collect evidence and ask, Why is our village like this?

Journeys further afield

Our topics take children from Bloxham to very different environments. In Bright Lights, Big City, Year 1 discover London. Year 2 compare England with Somalia in Let’s Explore the World and investigate coastal life, including Whitby, in Coastline. Their erosion experiments help them make sense of the forces shaping a shore they cannot visit every day.

Further up the school, Rocks, Relics and Rumbles opens up the world of volcanoes and earthquakes. Interconnected World explores places in North and South America, while Sow, Grow and Farm asks children to think about land, agriculture and the environment. By Year 6, Our Changing World brings together maps, settlements, climate change and global trade.

Some places are beyond the reach of a school trip, so we use AI to help children travel virtually to the environments they are studying. Year 6’s Frozen Kingdoms topic offers a memorable example of learning reaching beyond the classroom: pupils followed a virtual Antarctic expedition associated with Sir David Attenborough, with Bloxham’s name included in a time capsule bound for Antarctica.

Curious about our planet

Geography continues beyond lessons through our Geography Club and Eco Warriors. These give children more opportunities to pursue their interest in places and the environment, and to think about the part they can play in caring for the world around them.

We want children to leave Bloxham able to read a map, investigate a question and look at a landscape with fresh eyes. Wherever they find themselves, we hope they will keep asking: What is this place like, why is it like this, and how might it change?

Current families can find curriculum overviews and knowledge organisers on our Parent Portal.