Key Stage 2 geography · Locational knowledge

KS2 UK regions, mountains and rivers: a guide for parents

In Key Stage 2, children learn about the geographical regions of the United Kingdom and its key topographical features, which means its hills, mountains, coasts and rivers. They also learn the map skills needed to describe them: the eight points of the compass, four- and six-figure grid references, and the symbols and key on Ordnance Survey (OS) maps. Schools choose which regions and features to study.

UK regions, mountains and rivers, explained

The curriculum asks pupils to name and locate geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, and key topographical features including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers. “Topography” simply means the shape of the land. Schools decide which examples to use, but many cover the nine regions of England (North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West) and the broad regions of Scotland, such as the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands, along with the main landscapes of Wales and Northern Ireland.

In general, the highest and wildest land is in the north and west of the UK, and the flatter, drier lowlands are in the south and east. The Pennines run down the north of England like a backbone, and the Lake District, the Cheviots, the Peak District and Dartmoor are other upland areas. The highest mountain in each country is a popular fact: Ben Nevis in Scotland, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in Wales, Scafell Pike in England and Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland. There is no single official line between a hill and a mountain, but mountains are generally higher, steeper and rockier.

Rivers flow from a source, often in high ground, to a mouth at the sea. The Severn is the longest river in the UK and the Thames is the longest river entirely in England. Children also learn about the Trent, the Mersey, the Tyne, the Tay and the Clyde. The coast adds more variety: the white chalk cliffs near Dover, the sandy beaches of Norfolk, the rocky headlands of Cornwall and the sea lochs of western Scotland all have different characteristics. Children might also meet lakes, such as Windermere in the Lake District and Loch Ness in Scotland, and Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the UK.

Human characteristics are part of a region’s identity, too. Hill and mountain areas have few people, with sheep farming and tourism, while lowland river valleys and coasts have more towns, ports and farmland. Comparing a UK mountain with the world’s highest, Mount Everest, which is more than six times as high as Ben Nevis, also helps children see UK features in a global context.

The map skills are probably what children find hardest. The eight compass points are north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west and north-west. On the OS maps used in school, a network of grid lines divides the map into squares that each stand for one kilometre by one kilometre. A four-figure grid reference names a whole square, and a six-figure reference pins down a spot within it. The symbols and key show features such as churches, campsites, footpaths and car parks, and contour lines show the height of the land.

Words your child will hear

Topography: The shape of the land and its natural features, such as hills, valleys and rivers.
Source and mouth: Where a river begins, usually in higher land, and where it ends, at the sea.
Grid reference: Numbers that give the position of a place on a map: four figures name a square, and six figures pin down a point inside it.
Easting and northing: The numbers read along the bottom and then up the side of a map grid.
Contour line: A line on a map joining points of the same height above sea level.
Key (legend): A list explaining what each map symbol means.
Region: A large area with its own character, such as the Highlands of Scotland.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
Pupils should be taught to use the 8 points of a compass, 4- and 6-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features.

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

Try it: giving a grid reference

On an OS map, a campsite symbol sits inside a grid square. The grid line on its left side is labelled 34 and the line below it is labelled 56. The symbol is about seven tenths of the way across the square and two tenths of the way up. Give the four-figure and six-figure grid references.

Remember the rule: along the corridor, then up the stairs. Always read the number along the bottom of the map first, then the number up the side.
Find the square. The line to its left is 34 and the line at its bottom is 56. Always use the left and bottom lines of the square.
Write the four-figure reference. Put the left line first, then the bottom line: 3456. This names the whole square.
Now go further. Imagine the square divided into ten equal strips each way. The symbol is seven tenths across, so the third digit going along is 7. It is two tenths up, so the third digit going up is 2.
Write the six-figure reference by putting the extra tenth into each pair: 34 and 7 make 347, and 56 and 2 make 562.
```
along:  34 + 7 tenths = 347
up:     56 + 2 tenths = 562
six-figure reference: 347562
```
Check by reading it back. Along to 347, then up to 562, should land on the campsite.

The four-figure reference is 3456 and the six-figure reference is 347562.

Common mistakes and how to help

Reading the numbers in the wrong order

When children spot a symbol, they often read whichever number catches their eye first, which may be the one up the side, so they go up before going along.

What helps: Chant “along the corridor, up the stairs”. Practise on a simple grid in the garden or on a board game before using a real map.

Using the right or top line of the square instead of the left and bottom

Children point at the symbol and read the nearest line, rather than the lines that name the square.

What helps: Say that a square is always named by its bottom-left corner. Mark that corner with a dot on a practice map each time.

Mixing up where a river starts and where it ends

A river is often drawn as a line with no arrow, and children assume that water flows from the sea or from the bottom of the page.

What helps: Remind them that rivers flow downhill. Use contour lines or colour to find the high ground, then name that end the source.

Thinking the highest point in the UK is in Wales or England

Snowdon and Scafell Pike are often the first mountains children hear about, and a mountain’s fame is easily mistaken for its height.

What helps: Make a mountain height chart with Ben Nevis, Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Slieve Donard. Ask your child to put them in order.

How to help at home

Compass in the garden. Use a compass to find north, or remember that in the UK the Sun is roughly due south around the middle of the day (never look straight at it). Then ask your child to name something to the south-west of the shed or north-east of the gate. Eight points is plenty.
Draw a grid on a map. Draw a grid over a simple sketch map of your road or park, number the lines and hide a treasure. Give four-figure and then six-figure references to find it.
Follow a river on a map. Pick a river near you and trace it from source to mouth on an atlas. Which hills does it start in, which towns does it pass and which sea does it reach?
Walk it with a map. On a family walk with an adult, take a simple map of the area. Match what you can see, such as a hill, a church or a stream, with the symbols and the key.
Compare heights with string. Cut lengths of string to scale for Ben Nevis (1,345 m), Snowdon (1,085 m) and Scafell Pike (978 m), using 1 centimetre for every 10 metres. They come out at about 135 cm, 109 cm and 98 cm. An adult can handle the scissors.

Builds on

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Africa: regions, countries and cities
Key Stage 3: Russia: the world’s largest country
Key Stage 3: Asia, including China and India
Key Stage 3: The Middle East: location and landscapes