Curriculum

GEOGRAPHY

| Education | Curriculum | Geography
Studying Geography gives pupils the opportunity to travel the world via the classroom, learning about both natural and social sciences along the way. It provides pupils with a holistic understanding of our planet, its systems and how we, as humans, are impacting our world. Pupils learn to appreciate the complexity of our world and the diversity of its environments, economies and cultures. Through Geography, pupils develop an understanding of the global political issues that occur between countries, cultures, cities and their hinterlands, and between regions within countries.
Geography at KS3
Year 7 Year 8
  • Local geography
  • Settlement
  • Fluvial processes
  • Global climate and climate change
  • Environmental concerns and protection
  • Managing fluvial systems
  • A world of contrast: Development
  • Tectonics
  • Cool geography: Glaciation
  • Hot geography
  • An Asian adventure
  • The coastal zone
Assessment

Formal Assessment takes place at the end of each Half-Term.

Geography at KS4 (GCSE)
Year 9 Year 10 Year 11
  • Extreme weather
  • Living in the city
  • Into Africa
  • The living world: Rainforests and Hot Deserts
  • Natural hazards: Tectonics
  • Natural hazards: weather hazards (tropical storms) and extreme weather in the UK
  • Physical landscapes in the UK: coasts and glacial landscapes
  • The challenge of resource management
  • Fieldwork
  • Urban issues and challenges
  • The changing economic world
  • The challenge of resource management
  • Issue evaluation
Assessment

Examination Board: AQA

Paper 1: Living with the Physical Environment
Overview Focus
  • Written exam (1 hour 30 minutes)
  • 88 marks (including 3 marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology (SPaG))
  • 35% of GCSE
  • Section A: The Challenge of Natural Hazards
  • Section B: The Living World
  • Section C: Physical Landscapes in the UK
Paper 2: Challenges in the Human Environment
Overview Focus
  • Written exam (1 hour 30 minutes)
  • 88 marks (including 3 marks for SPaG)
  • 35% of GCSE
  • Section A: Urban Issues and Challenges
  • Section B: The Changing Economic World
  • Section C: The Challenge of Resource Management
Paper 3: Geographical Applications
Overview Focus
  • Written exam (1 hour 15 minutes)
  • 76 marks (including 6 marks for SPaG)
  • 30% of GCSE
  • Pre-release resources booklet made available 12 weeks before Paper 3 exam
  • Section A: Issue Evaluation
  • Section B: Fieldwork
Geographical Skills
Pupils are required to develop and demonstrate a range of geographical skills, including cartographic, graphical, numerical and statistical skills, throughout their study of the specification. Skills will be assessed in all three written exams.
Enrichment Offer

The Geography Department runs a weekly lunchtime club which makes use of role plays, computer research, map reading and model building activities to help extend and stretch our pupils’ understanding of some core geographical concepts. We run trips and competitions and encourage our pupils to enter the Royal Geographical Society Young Geographer of the Year competition. Intervention sessions to consolidate prior learning and ensure maximum progress are at the heart of our delivery model.

Useful Resources and Revision Support