Curriculum Overview: Geography
“Geography forms an essential part of student’s education at Key Stage Three and for many onto Key Stage Four and Five. It encourages students to understand and think more about the world, the challenges it faces and their place within it.”
The Geography Department is a well- resourced working environment within A Block. There are three dedicated rooms all equipped with internet access, two having interactive whiteboards and the other a computer linked to a projector. Both rooms have DVD facilities.
Regular Geography fieldtrips take place mainly to link into the GCSE and A level courses. Examples include Poole, Chesil Beach, Studland, Bruton and Bristol.
Curriculum Delivery
Year 7
- Introduction to Geography
- Map Skills
- Restless Earth
- Rivers
Year 8
- Coasts
- Africa
- Cold Environments
- Food and Water
Year 9
- Weather
- Changing cities
- Warming planet
- Global Inequality
GCSE
Students start follow the AQA GCSE Geography course. Topics studied include:
- Living World
- Changing economic world
- Physical landscapes in the UK
- Physical Geography fieldwork – Does Chesil Beach need flood defences?
- Urban issues and challenges
- Human Geography fieldwork – What are the challenges of urban development in Bristol?
- Challenge of natural hazards
- Challenge of resource management
- Geographical skills
- Study of pre-release material from the AQA exam board.
The new 2018 examination is made up of three examinations
Paper 1 Living with the physical environment. 1 hour 30 mins 35 % of the final mark
Paper 2 Challenges of the human environment. 1 hour 30 mins 35% of the final mark
Paper 3 Geographical Applications Issue Evaluation, Fieldwork and Skills. 1 hour 15 mins worth 30 %
In Years 12 and 13
We follow AQA A Level (7037) First examined 2018 onwards.
Physical Geography topics
Water and Carbon Cycles
Coastal Systems and Landscapes
Hazards
Human Geography topics
Contemporary urban environments
Global Systems and Global Governance
Changing Places
Geography Fieldwork Investigation
This is an independent 3- 4000 word investigation based on any topic covered in the syllabus. Each student must set a question, collect, record, present, analyse, draw a conclusion and evaluate the whole process.
Geographical Skills
Two examinations of 2 hrs 30 mins. Each worth 40% each.
Made up of multiple choice questions, short answers and extended prose
Geographical Investigation worth 20%