Geography
Head of Department
Mr R Moon
Email: rmoon@stopsleyhighschool.co.uk
Course Overview
The study of geography introduces pupils to our changing world, its human interactions and physical processes. Pupils will develop the knowledge and skills to enable them to contribute to their local communities and wider society. The study of geography fosters positive life-long attitudes of environmental stewardship, sustainability and global citizenship. Practical activities, including fieldwork, provide opportunities for candidates to interact with their environment.
The Department has dedicated staff who build strong relationships with students. We want to help students make sense of a rapidly changing world, with the focus on academic interest, as well as transferable skills, such as decision making, problem-solving, and the analysis of sources.
Key Stage 3
KS3 pupils will cover a range of topics linked to the national curriculum and follow a vertically integrated scheme of learning which will show a progressional journey which deepens there understanding of the natural world
Year 7 will study a range of human and physical topics including; Geographical skills, glaciers, Africa and the horn of Africa, settlements and land use, ecosystems and rivers.
Year 8 will cover and start to unpick how key triggers affect the earth and the workings of hazards. The topics include; tectonics, coasts, weather and climate, energy resources and climate change, Asia and China and urbanisation and development.
Year 9 pupils will start to link together the skills and knowledge they have gathered in Year 7 and Year 8 by studying two countries (the USA and Russia). They will incorporate all the skills they have learnt and deepened their knowledge and understanding by applying it to project-based learning and real-life case studies.
In the last term Year 9 pupils start to incorporate their breadth of knowledge covering development dynamics and challenges of an urbanising world which challenges the journey they have made by starting the transition into GCSE.
Key Stage 4
Year 9, 10 and 11 work through 3 components, this ranges from Physical hazards looking at Volcanoes and Tsunamis in South America to case studies focusing on the UK’s environment and fieldwork studies on local rivers.
Component 1 covers Global issues (37.5%). These include the topics:
Hazardous Earth, Development Dynamics and Challenges of an Urban Environment
Component 2 covers UK issues (37.5%). These include the topics:
The UK's evolving Physical Landscape, The Uks evolving Human Landscape and Fieldwork Skills
Component 3 covers People and the Environment and DME (25%). These include the topics:
People and the Biosphere, Forests under threat and Consuming Energy Resources
Exam Board
Edexcel
Subject Assessment
KS3:
- Baseline assessments
- End of topic test and success criteria assessment
- Progress assessments
KS4:
- End of topic test and success criteria assessment
- End of Year 9 exam
- Year Mock examination of Paper 2 topics
- Year 11 Mock examinations on Paper 1,2 and 3
- Walking-talking mocks also used
Progression
Progression is seen through tracking and through Edexcel progression steps
Next Steps
In Geography we aim to have a broad curriculum and aim through our mission statement aim to instil passion and wonder in how Geography works. The links below will help pupils who would like to broaden there thinking and subject knowledge and also allow further progress within the subject.