Why study geography?
Geography is a wide-ranging subject which has become increasingly relevant to modern day society. It is studied at King’s Hall from Year 1 through to Year 8. In the Pre-Prep and the early years, it is taught by the class teachers to prepare them for Year 5 through to Year 8, where the subject is in the hands of experienced and specialist geographers.
By using a combination of structured learning and practical fieldwork, the pupils are encouraged to foster an understanding of the world, its people and their various differences and problems on local, national and global scales.
The Great Outdoors
We aim to encourage the children to develop an interest and a degree of curiosity about the world around them. They are also introduced to the practical benefits of maps, atlases and digital resources. Model-making plays an important role in the pupils’ learning, helping to bring the subject alive for them.
King's Hall is fortunate to be located in beautiful grounds and these are employed for a variety of studies outside of the classroom. We also benefit from our superb location in the South West of England, being relatively close to coastline, moorland and urban environments, and these provide the destination for numerous exciting and worthwhile field trips.
In Year 3, pupils get out and about walking up Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor and visit the local village of North Curry on the Somerset Levels. Year 4 pupils explore the Dorset coastline, visiting a stunning example of a sheltered bay at Lulworth Cove. The Year 5s get to see a working quarry first hand and marvel at the enormous scale of Whatley Quarry, while in Year 6, pupils study a local river from its source, high on the Quantock Hills to its mouth in the Bristol Channel.
The Common Entrance syllabus, covered in Years 7 and 8, involves studying Transport and Industry, so pupils visit the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull. In Year 8, pupils also conduct a Fieldwork Enquiry, based on measurements and observations made whilst studying the Holford River. All of these experiences of seeing geography up close and in action, provide pupils with lasting memories and greatly facilitates their learning.