Geography

What is Geography? Students learn about world locational knowledge, latitude and longitude and map skills. They locate and name countries in Europe, North and South America. They begin to identify human and physical features of localities and locate and name the world’s continents and oceans.

Tectonic Activity

Students locate the global distribution of volcanoes,earthquakes, mountain belts and plate boundaries. They locate and investigate natural disasters in Guatemala, Turkey and Nepal.  They learn about the theory of continental drift, how to recognise the patterns of earthquake, volcano and mountain belts as plate boundaries.  Students learn the theory of plate tectonics and scientists’ evolving understanding of how plates move. They learn to appreciate how scientific theories and understanding about plate tectonics have evolved through time through a series of discoveries.

Students also learn how people respond to an earthquake and understand how people manage risk in areas prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. They learn about the impact of development and urbanisation on countries susceptible to earthquakes and volcanoes.

Students learn about the global distribution of population and locations of the world’s major cities. They learn about the population control strategies in Russia and China and the geographical concepts and ideas of population distribution, change, growth, migration and  urbanisation

Students learn about how population change occurs at different rates and times in different countries and how countries attempt to control population change.

Students are taught about the decisions that people make to migrate and how migration changes settlements. They identify the interconnections between population change, use of natural resources and development and learn about the concepts of urbanisation and regeneration, understanding how and why living standards vary in different urban areas.

Students learn about the water cycle and drainage basin processes. They learn about river processes – erosion, transportation, deposition – to create landscapes.  Students are taught to identify river landscape features and identify how people use rivers.

Students learn how human and physical factors cause rivers to flood. They identify ways that people respond to river flooding and learn to identify how river flooding can be managed.

Weather and Climate

Students learn the difference between weather and climate and their basic principles, processes and patterns. They learn about the characteristic features of depressions and anticyclones and how they affect the weather.

Students learn how weather affects our daily lives and how weather is measured, recorded and forecast – role of the Met Office

 Students locate Asia and its countries and identify key features of Asia’s physical landscape, climate, environments, population distribution and economy. They learn about aspects of the physical and human geography of India and China and Nepal.

Students learn about the features and reasons for a monsoon climate and the cause of flooding in Asia. They learn how biomes are formed by the interaction of the Earth’s spheres – mountain

Students learn about population distribution and change in Asia. They compare the population structure of two Asian countries. They understand how urbanisation is changing a region – Karnataka, India.

Students identify reasons for economic growth in China, understand the growing economic importance of Asia and appreciate the changing balance of world trade.

Students learn about the impact of climate and flooding on people in Asia and compare the causes and impact of flooding in Asia with York

Students learn how deforestation in Nepal is affected by a mountain biome

Students learn about the need for, and impact of, coastal management strategies

Geography in Action (Environmental Themes)

Students learn about the concept of climate change and the role of greenhouse gases. They learn about the contribution of using natural resources, energy development, economic growth and population change on the world’s changing climate. They learn to identify and classify the causes of climate change and understand that action to face climate change requires international agreement and collaboration.

Students learn what a coral reef ecosystem is, where they are located in the world and understand ways in which humans threaten the reef. They consider what action may be taken to help save the coral reefs.

Students learn how plastic causes problems for the environment and consider what can be done to reduce this problem.

Students learn about the arguments for and against banning palm oil.

Students learn about fracking and recognise some of the different viewpoints about this subject.

 Students learn about the physical landscape and the pattern of climate zones and biomes across Africa. They identify the causes and consequences of desertification in the Sahel.

Students learn how biomes are formed by the interaction of the Earth’s spheres – savanna

Students learn to challenge stereotypical views about the continent of Africa by considering the effects of colonialism on present-day Africa. Students learn about the changing state of development across African countries and understand population distribution and change. They learn about how urbanisation is changing Africa and compare urbanisation in a region of India to a region of Africa.

Years 10 to 11 – Key Stage 4

GCSE Geography

Examination Board: Eduqas Geography B
Course Code: C112QS

The course offers the opportunity to explore a range of human and physical topics and the issues which arise.

The subject content is divided into the following units:

• Changing Places – Changing Economies (urban and rural processes, urbanisation and development issues).
• Changing Environments (coasts, rivers, weather and climate and climate change).
• Environmental Challenges (ecosystems, water resources and management and desertification).

The syllabus has been chosen to help our students explore people and their environment as well as contemporary events and issues which are relevant locally, nationally and globally.  It will help students to understand their environment and community.

Students who are interested in decision-making and empathy work will enjoy exploring and solving complex social and environmental issues as well as gaining an understanding of how they shape the world along with natural processes.

Three written exam papers to be taken at the end of Year 11.

• Component 1: Investigating Geographical Issues
• Component 2: Problem Solving
• Component 3: Applied Fieldwork Enquiry 

Years 12 to 13 – Sixth Form

A Level Geography

Examination Board: OCR
Course Code: H481

“Geography is the subject which holds the key to our future” Michael Palin

Geography provides an opportunity to develop an understanding of the relationship between people and the natural environment. How we affect our planet and how our planet affects us.

Topics include; Physical Systems (Coastal Landscapes, the Carbon Cycle and the Water Cycle), Human Interactions (Global Connections and Changing Spaces) and Geographical Debates, plus an Independent Investigation where students choose an area of interest. This will involve learning essential theory and applying skills to a variety of environments on different scales.  Particular importance and emphasis is placed upon the relationships between people and the natural world.

Fieldwork forms an essential part of the course and as a result there are 4 compulsory fieldwork days for students to participate in. These days provide essential experience both for the exams and the individual enquiry.

Are you interested in
– The physical world around you
– The challenges to the environment
– Understanding other cultures
– Active research
– A subject which blends with the Arts and Sciences.

Leading to a career in
– Travel and Tourism
– Local Government and Planning
– Environmental Management
– Cartography and Meteorology
and many others…….