Geography

Aims & Objectives

The study of geography can help pupils to solve environmental problems. We aim to provide a stimulating environment in which pupils are able to learn actively, through enquiry-based learning, to develop an informed concern about the quality of natural and human conditions on the earth's surface. This approach helps pupils to develop their problem solving and decision-making skills. Employers and Higher Education institutions find these skills invaluable and they will set pupils in good stead for later life.

Pupils are able to use their geographical knowledge in a meaningful way to develop:

  • Knowledge and Understanding of a range of less economically developed and economically developed places and environments.
  • Skills such as how to collect, process and analyse field data and establish a route to enquiry. Using secondary data such as maps, satellite images, graphs, aerial photographs, graphs, statistical data and ICT.
  • Attitudes and Values of concern for the quality of environments and for the condition of human life.

Future Opportunities

Geography could take you anywhere! The range of skills which geographers acquire is much sought after by employers and geographers have access to a wide variety of careers. Geography provides experience of a range of general skills including written and oral presentation, teamwork, problem solving, numeracy, computing, graphics, mapping, survey methods and research skills. Geographers are recognised as adaptable people who can be easily trained, while their broad understanding and range of approaches to the world and its problems are relevant to many different jobs.

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.