Learning about geography is not only about looking at maps, as education reporter Haydn Lewis found out when he spoke to pupils at a York primary school

GEOGRAPHY was never my strong suit at school, but little did I know the importance it would play to my future career when I chose to be a journalist.

What’s more, I never dreamt I would end up talking about its role in local media to a class of 31 seven and eight-year-olds.

The geography of a paper’s circulation area and the issues that interest and affect the people living there are at the heart of the articles that fill its pages and website.

When I took time out from news gathering to drop in to see pupils in Year 3 at St Lawrence’s CE Primary School in Heslington Road, they got to learn about The Press circulation area. It is centred on the city of York and its villages in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate, Hambleton, Ryedale, Selby and the resorts of Filey and Scarborough and into East Yorkshire with communities including Pocklington and Stamford Bridge.

I, in turn, got a lesson in trying to maintain the interest of a mercifully very well-behaved bunch of youngsters.

We talked about a range of issues and how local geography has an impact on news every day, with particular focus on the ongoing daytime closure of Lendal Bridge to traffic.

I was also asked a range of different questions, from what I like most about my job, to how we source news stories.

Teacher Paul Dring said the contribution from The Press was part of a wider project in geography.

He said: “In Year 3, the geography we are focusing on is to make the children more aware of their community and world, with particular reference to news. Being better informed ensures that children are taking more notice of important events and having an impact on the outcomes by taking part, responding and becoming responsible, well-informed citizens.”

After the presentation, pupils, Connor Fewster, Laila McIntyre and Tasha-Lee Smith, all aged eight, and seven-year-olds Kai Davis and Paris Bridges talked to me about what they had learnt.

Connor, who wants to be a football player when he is older, said: “I found out how you get a newspaper in colour and how they make The Press and how to get news stories.”

Laila, who would like to be a teacher or a singer, said: “I have learnt that working at The Press is interesting.”