Key Stage 1 geography · Geographical skills and fieldwork

KS1 compass directions: north, south, east and west

Telling someone where something is, or how to get there, is a core geographical skill. In Years 1 and 2 children learn the four compass directions, north, south, east and west, and combine them with everyday words such as near, far, left and right to describe the position of features and routes on a map. They also begin to use first-hand observation to notice where things are in the world around them.

Compass directions and routes, explained

A compass is a tool with a magnetised needle that swings to point towards north. The four main directions are north, east, south and west. North and south are opposite each other, as are east and west. Going clockwise from north, as the hands of a clock move, gives north, east, south, west. Many children remember this with a rhyme such as “Never Eat Slimy Worms”. The four directions are the only ones Key Stage 1 children are expected to use. Directions in between, such as north-east, come later in Key Stage 2.

On most maps north is at the top, south is at the bottom, west is on the left and east is on the right. A small drawing called a compass rose shows this, and children learn to check it rather than assume. Reading a map by saying “the school is north of the shop” fixes a position, and that fact stays true however the person reading the map happens to be standing.

Locational and directional language is the second half of the skill. Locational words say where something is: near, far, next to, between, in front of, behind, above and below. Directional words say how to move: left, right, straight on, forwards, backwards, turn. Some of these words, such as left, right, in front of and behind, depend on which way the speaker is facing, so “the library is on my left” changes when you turn around. Compass directions do not. Learning to use both, and to know when each is useful, is the heart of this topic.

In class children practise outdoors and indoors. They might face north in the playground, walk three steps east, then turn to face south, or follow a route on a floor map using a toy. They describe the route a character takes in a story, and they draw simple routes with arrows. Using real places, such as the way from the classroom to the hall, helps the words become part of their everyday vocabulary. Children are also gradually taught the vocabulary of human and physical features, so a route might pass a shop, a river or a hill.

Words your child will hear

Compass: A tool whose needle points to north and helps find other directions.
North, south, east, west: The four main directions. North is opposite south, and east is opposite west.
Compass rose: A drawing on a map that shows the directions, usually with north at the top.
Route: The path you take to get from one place to another.
Near and far: Words to say whether a place is close to you or a long way off.
Left and right: Directions that depend on which way you are facing.
Direction: The way you are going or facing.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 1 says:

Pupils should be taught to 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
Pupils 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.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: describing a route

On a village map with north at the top, School Lane runs up the page from the school to a crossroads. The library is on the east side of School Lane. At the crossroads, Mill Road runs from west to east. East of the crossroads, the shop is on the north side of Mill Road, and the pond is at the far east end of the road. Describe the route from the school to the pond.

Find the start and end of the route, then look at the compass rose. North is at the top of the page, so east is to the right.
School Lane runs up the page from the school, so the first part of the route is to the north. Walking north, east is on your right, so the library is on your right.
The pond is east of the crossroads. When you reach the crossroads facing north, east is to your right, so you turn right.
Now you are facing east, so north is on your left. The shop is on the north side of Mill Road, which means it is on your left as you walk along it.
Keep going along Mill Road until it ends. The pond is at the end of the road.

“Walk north along School Lane, past the library on your right. At the crossroads turn right and walk east along Mill Road, past the shop on your left, until you reach the pond.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Using left and right where the compass directions are needed

Left and right are the words children use every day, so they automatically use them for maps too.

What helps: Explain that left and right change when you turn, but north stays where it is. Stand in the garden, turn round and ask where the shed is by left and right, then by compass direction.

Swapping east and west

They look and sound similar, and children often forget which side of a map each belongs on.

What helps: Read across the compass rose from left to right: the letters W and E spell “WE”. West is on the left and east is on the right when north is at the top.

Thinking north always means “up” or “the top of the page”

Nearly every map a child sees has north at the top, so it starts to feel like a rule.

What helps: Turn a map upside down and ask where north is now. Show that north is a real direction, and the compass rose tells you where it points on the page.

Describing places with “here”, “there” and “over there”

Younger children point and speak at the same time, and the person in front of them can see where they mean. Words alone have to do more work.

What helps: Play a game where the listener cannot see you. Ask your child to say where an object is using words such as next to, behind, near and east of, so that the listener can find it without pointing.

How to help at home

Compass in the garden. Use a real compass, or ask an adult to find north on a phone or map. Mark north, east, south and west on the ground with chalk or sticks, or four pieces of paper held down by stones. Ask your child to stand in the middle and face each direction.
Where does the sun go? In the UK the sun rises roughly in the east, is in the south around the middle of the day and sets roughly in the west. Notice which side of the house is sunny in the morning and which in the evening. Never look straight at the sun.
Treasure hunt with directions. Hide a toy and give clues using compass directions and distances, such as “Walk four steps north, then two steps east”. Swap roles and let your child set the clues.
Map of a room. Draw a simple plan of a bedroom or living room, mark north, and describe where the furniture is: “The bed is north of the door.” Check your plan against a real compass.
Directions on the way. When you are out with your child, ask them to tell you which way to go at each turn, using left, right and straight on. Ask whether the next place is near or far.

Leads on to

Key Stage 2: Atlases, globes and digital maps
Key Stage 2: Compass points and grid references
Key Stage 2: Ordnance Survey map symbols
Key Stage 2: Fieldwork: observe and measure
Key Stage 2: Fieldwork: presenting findings