Geography

The department operates out of three dedicated classrooms, each equipped with interactive whiteboard and TV. The department also has an automatic weather station and one of the teaching rooms has a class set of computer terminals linked into the school network. The department is very well equipped with fieldwork equipment and textbooks.

Students have opportunities to experience a wide range of approaches to learning and develop their Geographical skills, understanding and knowledge through lessons, appropriate homework and a number of fieldwork opportunities.

Year 7: Students work on map and atlas skills, including GIS, global climate and the British Isles, rivers, glaciation and Africa.

Year 8: Students develop their understanding of coasts, population, weather and climate, Asia and urbanisation.

Year 9: Students currently study volcanoes and earthquakes, development issues, globalisation, China and tourism.

At GCSE students follow the AQA Geography A specification and cover the following options topics; 'The challenge of weather and climate', 'Water on the land', 'Ice on the land', 'Population change', 'Changing urban environments' and 'Tourism'.

At A Level students follow the OCR Geography specification covering modules in 'Managing Physical Environments' (rivers, coasts and cold environments) and 'Managing Change in Human Environments' (rural change, energy and tourism) at AS. At A2 students study modules in 'Geographical Skills' and 'Global Issues' (earth hazards, climatic hazards and population and resources).

Embedded within the curriculum, and a vital part of students’ learning, are a number of fieldwork experiences. In Year 7 the theme is rivers, whilst in Year 8 coasts is the focus. At GCSE, depending on the CAU focus, the students will gather data on rivers or urban settlement. In Year 12 students attend a residential fieldtrip in Dorset, focusing on coasts and tourism and then study an upland stream in the Peak District. In 2015 an additional experience was added to the programme with an inspiring visit to the volcanoes and glaciers of Iceland. Urban fieldwork in Year 13 concludes our programme of learning outside of the classroom.