Geography
Why study Geography?
Pupils will travel the world from their classroom, exploring unique and important places across all continents. Pupils can only have an awareness of where they are in the world if they have comprehensive knowledge and a deep understanding of the world. We use concepts of space and place as examples of the ‘lenses’ through which geographers view the world to understand how the world works. Where do they sit compared to other people? How does their experience, their status, and their identity compare with the rest of the world? Geography helps pupils understand how the world works and gives learners a solid grounding before they go to visit places. Geography teaches the pupils to investigate how other cultures work and how the world can be dangerous as well as beautiful place to live. Geography teaches pupils to be aware that the world is constantly changing and that being factual and precise can be as important as being imaginative. Geography will help pupils understand their place in the world and understand how local actions can have global effects. It is our aim to embed, enrich and develop an extensive geographical knowledge. Moreover, ‘facts’ are not always as clear cut as it might seem; pupils will be encouraged to contest ‘factual’ knowledge as it is liable to change over time.
How will I study Geography?
To develop geographical understanding, we will ensure that our pupils develop specific and detailed knowledge of locations, places, processes and environments, at all scales from the local to the global. Pupils study Geography by looking at the world through key ideas or big questions such as ‘Is China’s influence on the world growing’? The enquiry led questions will help pupils mature in their views of others in a sensitive way; they will engage in rational discussion, dialogue issues and responses and understand that solutions sometimes require compromise. Geography, which is a content-rich subject means that pupils, to answer the big questions, will develop an immense ‘vocabulary’ of places, concepts and processes that underpin them. The geomorphological processes underpinning the physical geography requires an understanding of the unequal resources and implications around the world. Increased student fluency and connection made of geographical knowledge will enable higher levels of analytical and critical thinking. As pupils progress, they will become more confident to think in abstract terms, develop their geographical thinking and identify geographical relationships between geographical phenomena. Pupils will be able to make clear links to knowledge in other subjects and have opportunities to learn outside the classroom. They will become skilled in collecting and interpreting key geographical data through exposure to outdoor learning, including fieldwork, that will help to foster a deeper understanding of geographical features and processes. They will interpret a wide range of geographical information, including maps, diagrams and photographs.
What will I study at Key Stage 3?
The curriculum is designed so that pupils cover a wide range of human and physical topics which demonstrate the interconnectedness of the world and its people. Case studies, examples and enquiries cover concepts at a variety of scales from local and national to international. Geography lessons equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Through enquiry, pupils confidently interpret a wide range of geographical information enabling them to conceptualise their classroom learning. With an increasingly interconnected web of knowledge, pupils can demonstrate a more mature awareness of issues and differing attitudes and values within which they arise.
In Year 7, the enquiry questions set the foundations for the rest of the geographical learning. Pupils learn about the importance of traditional map skills in a digital world, the basic concepts of location, place, physical and human geography. Pupils move onto learning about the physical environment by investigating ecosystems at different scales, exploring in depth large-scale tropical rainforests of Asia and South America. Pupils will investigate to what extent the tropical rainforests should be managed. From here, pupils will enter the continent of Africa, exploring Kenya; the diversity in its people, landscapes, and great inequalities that connects our pupils to the Kenyans. This important topic will help pupils mature in their views of others in a sensitive way. In the final term, pupils will be able to further apply their geographical skills to a study of coastal landscapes and a consideration about the processes, landforms, and making decisions on the future of tourism across the UK. Pupils finish the year with an in-depth study of British weather and climate, engaging in dialogue of weather becoming more extreme in the UK which will be presented in a team-based enquiry.
In Year 8, the first enquiry is about how humans should respond to the ‘real’ threat of climate change. The knowledge is sequenced to ensure that they can formulate an argument for action in response to climate change with a critical outlook of the whole debate. Next, pupils study the glacial and cold environments of the Antarctica, an environment that has been greatly impacted by climate change. Students will know the physical processes involved in creating unique landscapes and how it is increasingly under threat by human activity which has created conflict and management issues. Next, pupils will investigate two natural hazards: Tectonic Activity and River Flooding’. Building on the base knowledge of physical processes, pupils will engage in dialogue and decision making on how best to manage the risks posed by these hazards. Human interaction with the environment is a running theme in Year 8, and how humans can be more sustainable in our approach to managing these risks. Finally, there will be a student led enquiry into the impact of migration. After knowing the different human concepts/processes involved in migration, learners will develop an understanding of the wider issues relating to forced migration and refugees. Pupils will complete a fieldwork enquiry question on the impact of migration in Slough.
In Year 9, pupils will be gradually developing a deeper contextual knowledge and understanding of geographical concepts, recalling and revisiting them meaningfully and regularly. Increased student fluency and connection made of geographical knowledge and understanding will start to further develop their analytical and critical thinking skills. Pupils dive into the study of the most powerful economy in Asia, China. Student’s natural curiosity raised by media coverage of a place and people that is so different to their own place is investigated. The enquiry is focused on how China’s influence on the world is growing. Students will be able to discuss the impact China has had locally, regionally and globally.
Pupils will then explore the impact of transnational companies in a globalised world. They will ask tough questions about the ethical impact that the global economy has on humanity and reflect on their role within that system. Pupils then begin to learn about the formation and impacts of tropical storms, where pupils appreciate that inequalities within high-income countries can lead to disasters. From here they return to the UK to investigate their local town of Slough, how its growth and change has led to opportunities and challenges. This will involve guest speakers from regeneration projects and a fieldwork investigation into the social, economic and environmental impacts of regeneration. Pupils will justify the enquiry question to reaching conclusions and a critical reflection on the whole enquiry process. Attention then turns to the sustainable management of food, water and energy in the UK, here pupils will understand that there needs to be a balance when meeting the demands of people, nature and economy.
What will I study at Key Stage 4?
In Year 10, pupils begin with exploring the dynamic nature of physical processes and systems, and human interaction with them in a variety of places and at a range of scales. Pupils develop an understanding of geomorphological & biological processes and features in different environments and the need for sustainable management. They then go on to explore themes in the human environment; processes, systems, and outcomes and how they change both spatially and temporally. Pupils develop an understanding of the factors that produce a diverse variety of human environments; the dynamic nature of these environments that change over time and place, the need for sustainable management and the areas of current and future challenge and opportunity for these environments (at various stages of development). They then return to their knowledge and understanding of the physical environments by learning about tectonic and meteorological processes and features in different environments, and the need for management strategies governed by sustainability and consideration of the direct and indirect effects of human interaction with the Earth and the atmosphere.
In Year 11, pupils explore the relationship between environmental processes, human activities and the distribution of resources. The will develop an understanding that there is an unequal supply of key resources that impact quality of life and levels of development at local, national and global scales. They will also critically reflect on the solutions to increasing limited supplies and the political tensions that these can create globally. They will study the management of water as a key resource in a world increasingly changing due to climate change. They then turn their attention to enquiry and fieldwork where pupils undertake a geographical physical enquiry, investigating velocity changes along a river. Pupils then draw together and apply their knowledge, understanding and skills by undertaking a synoptic unit. This will contribute to their critical thinking and problem-solving skills on a particular issue using the pre-released source booklet. In preparation for their GCSE examinations, pupils will complete a series of consolidation sessions to recap and imbed knowledge and understanding.
Assessment at Key Stage 4
Examination Board: AQA 8035
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The challenge of natural hazards, the living world, physical landscapes in the UK and geographical skills. |
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Urban issues and challenges, the changing economic world, the challenge of resource management and geographical skills. |
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Issue evaluation, fieldwork and geographical skills. |
Enrichment
The Geography department provides a broad range of opportunities for pupils to deepen their geographical learning through guest speakers, trips and fieldwork. Pupils can experience the physical world around them through trips to rural Berkshire farms, and visits to the Living Rainforest. They conduct fieldwork enquiries into the physical processes acting along the River Pang, near the village of Bradfield in Pangbourne. They also experience the impact of human alterations to the river as a part of flood management. Pupils also carry out human fieldwork looking at the human processes of industrial change in nearby retail parks and urban regeneration locally in Slough at the Horlicks factory. Pupils are also given the opportunities to be leaders by becoming a subject ambassador whereby they take a leading role in raising the profile of the subject through whole school events. Pupils are also given the opportunity through enrichment to participate in our environmentally focused – Humanitarian Khalifa Club. We encourage pupils to read widely and have selected books that are on display in the classroom and available for borrowing from the library.
Careers
The study of Geography can lead to future careers ranging from landscaping, countryside officer, urban developer to ecologist, conservationist and community cohesion officer. Pupils develop their understanding of where the subject can lead them through engaging with guest speakers from industry to do with regeneration, farming and ecologists