Geography

INTENT

The geography curriculum seeks to broaden pupils’ horizons by deepening their awareness of the dynamic human and physical processes that shape the world around us. Through the study of human cultures and physical landscapes in both near and far places, GCSE geography aims to kindle a sense of curiosity about the social, political, economic and environmental processes that create the world in which we live.

Implementation

Edexcel is the exam board we will follow and pupils are assessed through three exams. The first paper focuses on the Hazardous Earth by looking at a broad range of climatic and tectonic hazards including climate change, tropical storms, volcanoes and earthquakes. Pupils will also learn about why some countries are more economically developed than others, as well as the challenges that urbanisation is having on newly emerging economies such as India in terms of population growth, social and economic mobilisation and climate change.

In the second paper, pupils will conduct two engaging and manageable field studies that do not have coursework. Last year we visited Stratford to study urban regeneration around the 2012 Olympic games. We also visited Epping forest, where we studied how a river’s profile changes along its course.

The final module of the course focuses on people and environmental issues where pupils are challenged to think about the demands humans are placing on the natural world as a result of global population growth, and ultimately to develop skills and confidence to solve these issues in order to protect and preserve our magnificent planet for future generations.

Impact

Geography is accessible for all pupils because it is the study of real-world issues. Assessments are accessible for all abilities. Pupils will develop key skills such as critical thinking, data handling and learning how to write short essays. This course sets pupils up to continue studying geography at A level if they would like to. If not, the skills they will develop are highly versatile and transferable for whatever they do next.