GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
CURRICULUM
The lower school follows the Geography Series where topics such as weather, climate, rivers, earthquakes, population, settlement and tourism are studied along with developing basic skills such as map work and graphical interpretation. They have one double lesson per week.
YEAR 7
- What is Geography?
- Map Work
- Settlement work based on reading
- Rivers
- Volcanoes and Earthquakes
YEAR 8
- Ecosystems
- People and Resources
- Weather and Climate
- Coasts
YEAR 9
- Tourism
- Earning a Living
- Global Fashion
- Development
- Glaciation
- Eco-schools
These topics and skills are further developed at GCSE where the department follows the OCR Specification A. It is a very popular option at GSCE with over half the year opting to undertake it. The have two double lessons per week.
In the GCSE there are two examination papers and a coursework assignment worth 25%
Paper 1 – tests the candidate’s knowledge, understanding and its application. It is split into four sections
- People and the physical world
- Coasts
- Rivers
- Plates
- People and place to live
- Settlement
- Population
- People and their needs
- Industry
- Energy
- Tourism
- Agriculture
People and the environment- Tropical Rainforests
- National Parks
- Global warming
- Acid rain
Paper 2 - tests the candidate’s geographical skills, understanding and its application. It is based on map work, photographs and geographical data.
Currently at A2 Level the Edexcel Specification A is taught and there is an opportunity for the most able students to sit the AEA award. From September 2008 the OCR Specification will be taught at both AS and A2. It is also being taught as part of the IB at both standard and higher levels.
It is also a popular option at this level with approximately 25 students opting for this subject each year. They have 4 double lessons a week.
The OCR syllabus will have two papers at AS
- Managing Physical Environments
- Rivers environments
- Coasts environments
- Cold environments
- Hot arid and semi arid environments
- Managing Change in Human Environments
- Managing urban change
- Managing rural change
- Energy
- Tourism
Followed by two papers at A2
- Global issues
- Environmental issues
- Economic issues
- Geographic skills
The IB has two papers:
Paper 1 – Population, Resources and Development. This is a compulsory paper for both standard and higher level candidates
Paper 2 – Geographical issues. Here the standard level students choose 2 options, whilst the higher level undertake 4. Currently the department studies - Climatic Hazards and Change, Ecosystems and Human Activity, Drainage Basins and their management and Globalisation.
Many students choose to continue their geographical studies at University including Oxford and Cambridge.
The L6 collecting pebbles
Fieldwork plays an important part in the geography curriculum and visits are made in the lower school, at GCSE and in the sixth form.
