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6 March 2026
Read time: 5mins
Anthony Barlow (University of Roehampton) and Phil Maudsley (Headteacher, Coatham CE Primary, Redcar) set out to show that the UK’s coastal story is richer, nearer to you than you think, and more teachable than you might assume.
GeogLive! 30: Learning about coasts
Are coasts in primary most often taught through a ‘bucket and spade’ lens? White golden beaches? Check. The long pier? Check. Ice-cream? A necessity! The GA’s Early Years and Primary Phase Committee aimed to help you teach coasts with a different view in their recent free GeogLive! webinar.
Start where the sea really begins
In the recording I invite you to rethink the idea of where the coast starts. I suggested that coasts begin much further inland; think high tide lines along rivers, estuaries and mudflats that might be present through local towns and cities. In London, the Thames exposes pebble and sand ‘beaches’ at low tide and lifts moored boats as the tide ebbs and flows. Similar stories may unfold near you in York on the tidal Ouse, in Gloucester with the Severn Bore, and along the Tyne, Wear and Tees.
So whether you’re five minutes from the shore or 20 miles inland, you can get children thinking critically and geographically to try and build a coherent mental map of Britain’s varied landscape. This strengthens disciplinary thinking as pupils connect processes (tides, waves, drift, sediment transport), landforms (cliffs, dunes, saltmarsh, shingle), and place (local rivers and estuaries).
Teach the coast as diversity, not a single story
Attendees to GeogLive! shared their own mental images of coasts: chalk cliffs, working ports, colourful harbours, wild Atlantic bays and seal lined sandbanks.
This diversity should challenge misconceptions and enrich vocabulary (from arch and stack to estuary, mudflat and spit), and helps children compare similarities and differences across the UK and beyond. Pairing this with drone clips and selected images, along with maps, might help transport pupils to places that are hard to visit while keeping the focus on processes, change and human use.
Curriculum tip: Use enquiry questions such as:
- Where does our nearest coast begin?
- How do tides shape our local river?
- Why might seafront houses be painted bright colours?
- How do goods come to our country from far away (container ports)?
From beach school to a Cabinet of Curiosities
Headteacher, Phil Maudsley, demonstrated what coastal learning looks like when your beach is just five minutes away and how its principles scale for any school planning a day trip.
At Coatham CE Primary the team uses the beach as a field site and flexible classroom. Pupils study landforms, make field sketches, explore tides and sediment, and recreate river courses. The beach also becomes a stage for history (motte and bailey siege tactics, Roman shields), art (Turner-inspired paintings, Barbara Hepworth-style sculptures with found materials) alongside music (compositions inspired by Britten’s Sea Interludes). Pupils listen, collect, create and perform, all anchored in local place.
The school’s ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ idea leads each class to curate a display box of found objects. Pupils then create notes as a gallery curator would. Teachers can then prompt for geographical reasoning: Why did you choose it? What processes placed it here? What connections can you make? Over time, this develops:
- fieldwork progression: from naming and describing to open questioning and inferring processes
- language development: from everyday noticing to precise vocabulary and analytical accounts
- wisdom and care: engagement with place that is physical, intellectual and emotional.
For inland schools, a single coastal visit can seed a term of curation, reflection and cross curricular work. What matters is not the number of objects but the quality of conversations they spark. Maybe you could try this in your local wood or park as an alternative?
Five practical takeaways
- Rethink the local coast: identify where your nearest tidal influence starts.
- Teach the processes: use images, short clips and simple measurements.
- Curate a class cabinet: collect, label and connect objects to build reasoning.
- Go cross curricular: let art, music and history deepen sense of place.
- Use big geographical questions: invite explanation, comparison and change over time.
Watch GeogLive! 30: Learning about coasts recording here.
Written by Anthony Barlow, Principal Lecturer in geography Education, University of Roehampton, and the work of the GeogLive! team.
With thanks to speakers Anthony Barlow and Phil Maudsley and for the book recommendations from Sally Jenkinson.
© Anthony Barlow, and the Geographical Association, 2026
