Curriculum

About the Courses…

At Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level the department delivers exciting issues-based courses that investigate the relationships between people and their environments. The courses are based on the use of a range of enquiry questions that provide the foundation for differentiation.

Fieldwork…

There are numerous fieldwork opportunities throughout the courses. These include: exploring the impacts of tourism in Brighton, researching Rochester, a residential trip to North Yorkshire and many more!

Assessment…

This tests the pupils’ understanding and skills level, as well as their ability to remember factual information. The work is assessed regularly, giving all pupils specific, individual targets that are used to inform future teaching. This enables all pupils to reach their full potential.

Key Stage 3…

 

In Year 7 pupils explore the world around them, including global interdependence and the incredible places that make up our planet and weather and climate. Year 8 investigate physical processes in geography studying volcanoes, earthquakes, rivers and rainforests. They also consider the human implications that these physical processes have upon the people at a range of different scales. In Year 9 pupils consider the more complex issues of development around the world, coasts and tourism

GCSE…

The AQA syllabus B is followed for GCSE. Some of the issues that we cover include; hazards (such as earthquakes and volcanoes, hurricanes and wildfires), tourism (including how global tourism has grown) and coastal environments (exploring our attraction to the coast and how we can manage coastal locations).

We also offer BTEC Travel and Tourism. Through this pupils study the scale and structure of the travel and tourism industry and relate it to real life examples.

A Level…

The department runs a successful AS and A2 Level Geography course. This follows the issues-based EDEXCEL syllabus. We also offer AS and A2 Level Travel and Tourism.

Where do all the Geographers go?…

Due to the nature of the course pupils will have the opportunity to gain academic qualifications that are well respected. Employers regard Geography as evidence that potential employees are aware of their surroundings and possess the higher level skills of decision-making, problem solving, analysis and enquiry.

The traditional careers for geographers, in teaching, surveying and town planning still exist but there are many new opportunities in both public and private sectors. In particular there are new openings in industry and commerce, and this sector is now the main employment destination of graduates. Environment and 'green issues' are high on the political and social agenda and geographers who have a qualification in another subject, be it biology, economics, environmental management, a language or computer science, will be well-placed to take advantage of new career opportunities. In addition, techniques of GIS (Geographical Information Systems), which combine the geographer's traditional skills with computing techniques, are finding increasing application in such fields as natural resource evaluation, transport and planning, and public sector resource management.