Students follow a balanced curriculum of human and physical geography. There is a strong focus on the development of skills and enquiry-based learning. We aim to include a mixture of awe and wonder, and essential world knowledge.
All of our schemes of work are based on and follow the national curriculum guidelines which focuses on locational and place knowledge, the processes that interact, influence and change our environments and the Geographical skills that underpin our subject
Topics include: Rivers and Flooding, Africa is not a Country, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, World Development Issues, Weather and Climate, Extreme Environments, Environmental Issues.
EdExcel B
Students are taught the course content in order, building upon knowledge and skills as they progress through the course. There are regular unit tests to check on knowledge and skills. Two days of fieldwork (a rivers study and an urban study) are undertaken in the local area.
Paper 1 – Global Geographical Issues:
Hazardous Earth, Development Dynamics, Challenges of an Urbanising World
Paper 2- UK Geographical issues:
Physical Landscapes, Rivers Fieldwork Investigation, Human Landscapes, Urban Areas Fieldwork Investigation
Paper 3 – People and Environmental Issues:
People and the Biosphere, Forests Under Threat, Consuming Energy Resources
Edexcel
Students are taught by two specialist teachers (of Physical and Human Geography). They are expected to discuss and evaluate topics covered in detail in class debates, and encouraged to go beyond what is learned in the classroom, following a guided list of extra reading and documentaries.
Paper 1 – Physical Geography. 2hrs 15 mins, 105 marks – 30%
Tectonic Processes and Hazards, Coastal Landscapes, Carbon Cycle & Energy Insecurity, Water Cycle & Water Insecurity
Paper 2 – Human Geography. 2hrs 15 mins, 105 marks – 30%
Globalisation, Regenerating Places, Superpower Geography and Migration, Identity & Sovereignty.
Paper 3 – Synoptic Paper. 2hrs 15 mins, 70 marks – 20%
Three themes of Players, Futures and Uncertainty & Attitudes and actions rooted in the core topics.
NEA – Individual investigation (coursework). 70 marks – 20%
This is a 3000-5000 word report, that students produce from their own independent data collection in the UK. It can be based on ANY of the topics in the course specification.
Fieldwork - 4 days of field work to help understanding of what we studied and to gain skills for the NEA.
The department runs extra-curricular trips abroad that are open to all students of the appropriate year group, regardless of whether they study Geography at GCSE or A level. An example of this is the Iceland 2022 and 2024 trips.