Staff
Subject Leader
- Mrs H Finney - Head of Learning
Subject Teachers
- Mr A Jarman
- Miss S Hutchins
Department Vision
Our intent in Geography is to promote in our students a curiosity and affinity with the world around them. A common theme running throughout the entire programme of study in Geography is for students to foster an understanding and appreciation of how human beings interact with the physical environment around them. We do this by exposing our students to a full range of places, locally and globally. By teaching the vital geographical skills and knowledge at Key Stage three we are preparing them with the foundations necessary for greater depth of study at GCSE. Our aim is to enable all students to garner a responsible attitude towards our planet and adopt a life-long learning approach by equipping them with the skills to ‘think like a geographer’.
At GCSE, the curriculum enables students to build their resilience and develop independent learning skills that will benefit them long into the future. We encourage our students to question everything, and to have a thirst for knowledge. The study of how humans interact with the physical planet around them is approached in detail, with decision-making exercises and geographical enquiry. Local Geographical fieldwork investigations are a must for the syllabus.
At Key Stage five, the programme of study increases to a far greater depth by covering fewer topics with an increase in breadth. By studying three physical-centred and three human-centred topics over the linear two year course, with key geographical and statistical skills being implicit, students are not only equipped with transferable skills that will prepare them for future employment, they also should finish A-Level Geography with a strong sense of citizenship and responsibility towards the world around them.
| Year 7 Geography | Year 8 Geography |
|---|---|
| Geography Exploring The World | Dangerous Tectonic Activity |
| Cold Environments | Economic World |
| Stepping Into Asia | Where The Land Meets The Sea |
| Weather And Climate | Climate Change And The Earth’s Future |
| Rivers And Flooding | International Development |
| Sustainable Earth | Earth’s Conflict Over Resources |
Upper School – Key Stage 4 (Years 9 – 11)
The GCSE course begins in Year 9. The department offers the AQA GCSE course which follows such topics as:
Physical Geography
- Tectonic Hazards, Weather Hazards and Climate Change.
- Ecosystems, Cold Environments and Tropical Rainforests
- Coastal and River Landscapes
Human Geography
- Urban Challenges
- Economic Development
- Challenge of Resource Management
The GCSE course covers a range of geographical, cartographic, graphical, numerical, and ICT skills. A physical and a human local fieldwork investigation is carried out for the course, plus an issue evaluation decision-making exercise.
Upper School – Key Stage 5 (Years 12 – 13)
The department continues to offer the AQA course for A-Level which follows such topics as:
Physical Geography
- Water and Carbon Cycle
- Coastal Systems and Landscapes
- Hazards
Human Geography
- Global Systems and Governance
- Global Commons: Antarctica
- Changing Places
- Population and the Environment
The A-Level course covers a range of geographical, cartographic, graphical, numerical, and ICT skills. Two physical and two human local fieldwork investigations are carried out for the course, as part of NEA (non-examined assessment).