KS2 Geography: Map Skills Revision Guide

Compass directions

Know the eight points of a compass: North, North-East, East, South-East, South, South-West, West and North-West. Maps are usually drawn with north at the top.

Grid references

A four-figure grid reference identifies a square on a map: read the easting (along the bottom) first, then the northing (up the side), e.g. 34 17. A six-figure grid reference is more precise, dividing each square into tenths.

Map symbols and keys

Ordnance Survey maps use standard symbols for features like churches, railways and woodland, explained in the map's key. Learning common symbols helps you read a map quickly.

Scale

A map's scale tells you how a distance on the map relates to a distance in real life, e.g. 1:50,000 means 1 cm on the map represents 50,000 cm (500 m) in reality.

Common mistakes

• Reading the northing before the easting in a grid reference — remember "along the corridor, up the stairs".
• Forgetting that a six-figure reference needs three digits for each direction.
• Misreading the scale and getting distances wrong.