Geography
Geography Subject Staff
| Mrs McClurg | Head of Geography |
| Miss Bryan | Teacher of Geography |
| Miss Jennings | Teacher of Geography |
| Mr Hurst | Teacher of Humanities |
Subject Overview
Our aim is to create a curriculum that develops inquisitive young people who have passion in exploring and understanding the world in which they live. We want pupils to understand the impact they can have on a local and global scale and who are able to make synoptic links to demonstrate their understanding of a wide range of geographical ideas. We aim to create lessons that are current, relevant and exciting, all the while ensuring pupils understand how places have changed over time and how we can learn from this. We aim to contribute towards a generation of pupils who have an awareness of the issues our planet faces with regards to climate change, population growth and management of resources. The ultimate goal is to create geographers who are fully prepared with the concepts and skills to be able to embark on a future as a Geographer, through the study of GCSE and/or Geography in a further education setting’.
Key Stage 4
Students will follow the AQA Specification which is split into 3 papers.
Paper one is called ‘Living with the physical environment’. This unit is concerned with the dynamic nature of physical processes and systems, and human interaction with them in a variety of places and at a range of scales.
Paper two is called ‘Challenges in the human environment’. This unit is concerned with human processes, systems and outcomes and how these change both spatially and temporally. They are studied in a variety of places and at a range of scales and must include places in various stages of development, such as higher income countries (HICs), lower income countries (LICs) and newly emerging economies (NEEs).
Paper three is called ‘Geographical applications’. The Geographical applications unit is designed to be synoptic in that students will be required to draw together knowledge, understanding and skills from the full course of study. It is an opportunity for students to show their breadth of understanding and an evaluative appreciation of the interrelationships between different aspects of geographical study. This unit includes the opportunity for fieldwork and the students will complete an exam based on skills developed through fieldwork.
The weighting for the final grade is:
Living in the physical environment - 35%
Living in the human environment - 35%
Geographical applications - 30%
Key Stage 5
At KS5 we follow the Edexcel Geography Specification.
It is split up into 4 sections:
Area of Study 1 - Dynamic Landscapes - Focusing on Coasts and Tectonics
Area of Study 2 - Dynamic Places - Focusing on Globalisation and optional unit of Regenerating places
Area of Study 3 - Physical systems and sustainability - Focusing on Water and Carbon
Area of Study 4 - Human systems and Geopolitics - Focusing on Migration, Identity and Sovereignty and Superpowers.
Area 1 & 3 make up Paper 1 - 30% of the total score and 105 marks available
Area 2 & 4 make up Paper 2 - 30% of the total score and 105 marks available
Paper 3 is a synoptic investigation worth 20% of the total score. There are 70 marks available. This paper is an externally-assessed written examination. A resource booklet will contain information about the geographical issue. All questions in the examination draw synoptically on knowledge and understanding from compulsory content drawn from different parts of the course. The examination may include short open, open response and resource-linked questions. The examination includes 8-mark, 18-mark and 24-mark extended writing questions. Calculators may be used.
Paper 4 - the NEA - An independent investigation carried out by the students. It is worth 70 marks.
- The student defines a question or issue for investigation, relating to the compulsory or optional content. The topic may relate to any aspect of geography contained within the specification
- The student’s investigation will incorporate fieldwork data (collected individually or as part of a group) and own research and/or secondary data
- The fieldwork, which forms the focus and context of the individual investigation, may be either human, physical or integrated physical-human
- The investigation report will evidence independent analysis and evaluation of data, presentation of data findings and extended writing
- Students will be expected to show evidence that they have used both quantitative and qualitative data to support their independent investigation as appropriate to the particular environment and/or location.
- Students will create a 3000-4000 word report.