Geography

A successful Poly Geographer is someone who can contextualise the world around them. He can identify how certain landforms have been created through acute understanding of different processes, and is able to explain how physical events, such as volcanoes, can have devastating effects. He understands why different societies and cultures are affected by different geographical phenomena be it natural hazards or urbanisation whilst maintaining an element of empathy towards these situations. A true Poly Geographer can apply geographical understanding to a wide range of disciplines, such as a how geographical situation can have an impact on a country’s trade and economy and be able to make astute comparisons between these different countries. Geographers can not only understand the world, but also seeks ways to improve it, especially regarding the issues of plastic pollution in our oceans and the rising of the planet’s temperature. To be a Geographer is to be excited and intrigued by the wonders, mystery, and dangers of the world. 

Key Stage 3

Course overview 

The Geography Curriculum has been planned meticulously to encompass a wide range of disciplines, skills, content, and regions of the world. Considering a curriculum that could span 7 years, should a student decide to approach further study of the subject in GCSE and A Level, the department has worked tirelessly to ensure the grounding knowledge from the first three years of the programme of study provides strong foundations to thrive into KS4 and KS5.  

The course allows for as many opportunities as possible to re-visit and reuse information previously covered. With an attempt to move to a more dynamic curriculum, students will begin their learning journey studying a variety of crucial geographical skills around maps and graphicacy, culminating in a local area study. They will then begin their studies with the topic of Wild Weather looking into the role of weather specific to the United Kingdom. Later in the academic year this content is extended on a global scale looking into the topic of climate change and how these influences affect patterns of extreme weather. The study of Rivers consolidates knowledge and the links between weather and flooding.  

Existing geographical knowledge is developed further into Year 8, this will be built upon in Extreme Environments, where students will apply this grounding knowledge to develop a deeper understanding as to how erosion and weathering can leave distinct landscapes from a variety of “agents” of erosion alongside studying cold and desert biomes in detail from their natural characteristics to the opportunities they present humans. The idea of change is explored heavily in these units, appreciating the earth is constantly changing and being shaped by processes on the surface.  

Students will develop deep understanding of the idea of inequality within the course of study. Starting in Year 7, students will be introduced to the idea of population and how inequalities have led to populations changing and people moving around the world. Into Year 8, students will deepen their understanding of inequalities using the Geographical “lenses” of social, economic, environmental, and political through the study of the Geography of Disease. 

Following this student will undertake the enquiry-based topics of both Africa and Russia, applying knowledge picked up across a range of different disciplines to understand why these regions are so diverse and so important to the rest of the world.  

Students are introduced to the concept of hazard risk and management in year 8 with the study of natural hazards which develops key synoptic links to GCSE content. 

Into Year 9 natural hazards specific to Tectonics are introduced.  Appreciating that levels of development leads to different living standards and different levels of risk and resilience to natural hazards and their phenomenal power. Also During Year 9, students will also undertake a deep study of the current Energy Crisis that is affecting the world and how we can change our future to ensure sustainability. They will end applying everything to the environmental emergencies the planet faces into the future and if we can indeed live with the risk that our natural planet poses to us.  

Global development and Environmental challenges, also studied in year 9, demonstrate the intricate links that exist between the human and physical components of geography. 

Our core concepts through the course of the study will be applied to a variety of different areas of study. These are:  

• Sustainability 
• Change 
• Time, Place and Space 
• Causality 
• Inequality 
• Scale 
• Diversity 

 

Key Stage 4

AQA GCSE Geography - Specification

Course overview 

Unit	Paper 1 – Physical Geography	Paper 2 – Human Geography
A	Tectonics & Weather Hazards (whole unit)	Urbanisation, Mumbai and London (whole unit)
B	Ecosystems, Rainforests and Deserts (not cold environments)	Development, Nigeria and UK Economy (whole unit)
C	Coasts and Rivers (not Glaciers)	UK Energy, Food and Water  Energy Management (Not food or water)

Assessment 

1 Physical Geography Exam – 1 hour 30 

1 Human Geography Exam – 1 hour 30 

1 Skills Exam – 1 hour 15 (exam assesses fieldwork and will also have a pre-release of material released 12 weeks before the exam usually around March 19th)