This knowledge will build for children both through specific geographical studies and when you make connections for them about locations in the UK that they will find out about through subjects such as History, Art, Music, Science and a myriad of others. Children will need to be specifically taught about the location of the United Kingdom so that they can connect this new knowledge with their prior understanding. When making your own choices about what, how and why to teach in relation to the United Kingdom, we think that you might find the guidance notes about the Teaching about the United Kingdom very helpful. We would also recommend that you look at the mapwork and developing locational knowledge guidance notes too. Having a map displayed, or at the very least regularly displaying a map, in the classroom or on your interactive whiteboard really does help the children develop their knowledge. Having a globe and maps within the classroom enables both lots of planned for and incidental learning to occur. This will help the children to place the UK in a context relative to other countries and nations around the world.
A very useful resource that many of us have found helpful is the Geographical Association’s ‘using an inflatable globe’