Geography helps us understand the importance of our place in the world and encourages us to think as both active individuals and global citizens. The world in which we live is likely to change more in the next 50 years than it has ever done before. Geography explains why, and it helps prepare students for those changes. Geography includes a wide range of transferrable skills – literacy, numeracy, graph work, GIS work, field work and working in groups.
We strongly believe in encouraging students to have an interest and passion for geography beyond the syllabus we study in lessons. Extra-curricular activities include our fortnightly travel club where staff share their travel experiences. We have also taken Year 11 to the Olympic Park as part of their Urbanisation and Regeneration Unit. We encourage our students to apply for national competitions for example the Royal Geographic Society’s ‘Young Geographer of the Year’.
Students study the Edexcel B GCSE course – ‘Evolving Planet’ which includes studying human, physical and environmental geography. We also run the ‘Edexcel Entry Level programme’ for students who require extra support. Students have five hours of Geography per fortnight.
Unit 1 – Dynamic Planet studies key physical processes – including restless earth, climate change, water world, battle for the biosphere and river processes.
Unit 2 – People and Planet focuses more on human geography processes including – population, consuming resources, globalisation, development dilemmas, cities and the changing economy of the UK.
Students complete two other units: Unit 3 is a synoptic and decision making exam where students have to draw together their understanding of key geographical ideas from both unit 1 and unit 2. Students are presented with a ‘geographical problem’ in the examination which they have to critically examine, then discuss and justify a series of solutions. Skills of problem solving, evaluation, resource interpretation are practised throughout the course to prepare students for the examination. Unit 4 is a controlled assessment field work project which students complete following a day field trip outside London, for example to Juniper Hall Field Studies Centre at Box Hill in Surrey.
Students now have to sit linear examinations, so all exams (unit 1, 2, and 3) will be completed at the end of Year 11. Controlled assessment and the field trip however are completed earlier within the course. Students are assessed regularly and keep homework essay books to allow students and their teachers to monitor progress and work on set targets. We set regular end of unit tests and mock examinations to support student’s writing under examination conditions. We run a Year 12 buddy programme, so any student who would like extra support during their GCSE studies can meet weekly with a Year 12 geographer.
Geography is considered a highly employable degree due to mixture of skills students practise – literacy, numeracy, graph work, problem solving, group work and its study of current issues such as hazards and globalisation, relevant to all work places. Studying Geography at 'A' Level is a popular choice and our students achieve very well. Geography GCSE is also a great starting point to other 'A' Level humanities subjects including Economics, Politics, Sociology and Psychology, as well as supporting students in the numeracy, graph and enquiry work needed in the Sciences. A Geography 'A' Level and degree route can take you to many Geography specific professions – Hazard management, hydrologist, climatologist, town planner, regeneration work, social work, local government, civil service, tourism, crime analyst, GIS expert, development work and many more. Or geography students move onto more general careers such as accountancy, law, healthcare or finance.