Geography National Curriculum  

Progression in Locational Knowledge

Subject Key Objective Progression & Development by Year Groups

The following is a guide to help you understand your child’s progression through school.

All lessons are effectively differentiated to ensure that all children can achieve the objective set.  

Locational Knowledge - EYFS

In Nursery, children will:

• know that there are different countries in the world and talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photographs;
• talk about holidays that they have been on;

• talk about families around the world;

• talk about similarities and differences.

In Year R, children will:

• recognise some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries;
• know about places in the world that contrast with places they know;

• use relevant vocabulary to describe contrasting locations.

• know that some children in different countries have similar/different lives to me, e.g. how they travel to school, what they eat, where they live etc.

Locational Knowledge - Year 1

In Year 1, children will:

• name the four countries that make up the UK and locate them on a map;
• name the three main seas that surround the UK.

Locational Knowledge - Year 2

In Year 2, children will:

• name and locate the seven continents of the world;
• name and locate the five oceans of the world;
• name some major cities, including the capital cities of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland;
• locate where they live on a map.

Locational Knowledge - Year 3

In Year 3, children will:

• name and locate at least eight counties and at least six cities in England;

• know the difference between the British Isles, Great Britain and the UK;

• locate and name some of the main islands that surround the UK;

• name and locate at least eight European countries;

• name at least four countries from the southern hemisphere and four from the northern hemisphere.

Locational Knowledge - Year 4

In Year 4, children will:

• know the names of and locate at least eight major capital cities across the world;

• know where the mountain ranges are in the UK;

• know, name and locate the main rivers in the UK;

• know where the equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn and the Greenwich Meridian are on a world map;

• know what is meant by the term ‘tropics’.

Locational Knowledge - Year 5

In Year 5, children will:

• know the names of a number of European capitals and know the countries that make up the European Union; 
• know the names of, and locate, a number of south or north American countries;
• locate the USA and Canada on a world map and atlas;
• locate and name the main countries in South America on a world map and atlas.

Locational Knowledge - Year 6

In Year 6, children will:

• identify and name the tropics of cancer and Capricorn as well as the artic and Antarctic circles;
• locate the lines of longitude and latitude;

• know about time zones and work out time differences around the world.