Geography

Aims of the Geography Department

The study of geography helps make sense of the beautiful, complex and dynamic world and prepares you for your roles as global citizens in the 21st century. Geography stimulates an interest in, and a sense of wonder about places. It explains how places and landscapes are formed, how people and environment interact, and how a diverse range of economies and societies are interconnected. It builds on your own experiences to investigate at all scales from the personal to the global. Geographical enquiry encourages questioning, investigation and critical thinking about issues affecting the world and people’s lives, for the present and future. Fieldwork is an essential element of this. You will learn to think spatially using maps, visual images and new technologies including geographical information systems, to obtain, present and analyse information. Geography inspires you to think about your own place in the world, their values and responsibilities to other people, to the environment and the sustainability of the planet.

There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of geography, which you need to deepen and broaden your knowledge, skills and understanding:

These concepts are:
• Place
• Space
• Scale
• Interdependence
• Process (human and physical)
• Cultural Diversity

Staffing

Ms E Palczewski
Mr D Carpenter
Mr A Ward 
Ms Y Khanom

Facilities

The Geography Department has 3 designated geography classrooms all equipped with Interactive Whiteboards. One of the classrooms (H15 has a suite of 15 computers)

KS 3 Introduction

Units in Year 7 are intended to build on and consolidate KS2 experiences and stimulate interest in enthusiasm for Geography. Thus local  and distant places are studied, skills are developed and physical topics are covered.

Units in Year 8 focus on studies at national and international scales and focus on a mix of human and physical themes.

Year 9 has a strong global focus and brings together in-depth understanding of important concepts i.e. sustainable development. The Year 9 scheme is intended as a conceptually demanding and enriching experience.

Throughout KS3 students increasingly:
• Broaden and deepen their knowledge and understanding of places and themes.
• Make use of a wider and more precise geographical vocabulary.
• Analyse geographical patterns, processes and changes.
• Appreciate the interactions within and between physical and human processes.
• Appreciate that places are interdependent.
• Study a wider range of scales, places and environments.
• Apply geographical knowledge and understanding to unfamiliar contexts.
• Select and effectively use of skills to support geographical investigations.
• Appreciate the limitations of geographical information and the tentative nature of some explanations.

KS4 Introduction

The current year 10 and 11 study OCR A. We have opted for OCR B for the incoming year 10 starting in 2009. In line with the Humanities Department policy, we offer a short course in geography

Special Features

Geography is most definitely one subject where you can learn more outside the classroom than in it. We believe that learning outside the classroom is about raising achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance. This is not only about what we learn but importantly how and where we learn."

‘’Fieldwork makes geography come to life, puts everything into context in glorious 3D and helps students really grasp how geography literally shapes the world around us’’  Kate Humble, Presenter of BBC Springwatch