home | news | curriculum | sixth form | school info | calendar | governors | prospectus | performance | alumnae | parents' area | fos | contact
     
Curriculum
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 

 

   


 
 


GEOGRAPHY

Department members:
Mrs Nicola Whan (Head of Department)
Mrs Fiona Macvie (Head of Key Stage 3)
Mr Chris Hall
Mrs Rebecca Rogers

Levels taught in the department:
Geography is taught throughout the school. National Curriculum Geography is taught through KS3 and the subject is a popular option at GCSE, AS and A2 levels.

Course Content in Key Stage Three

AUTUMN TERM
SPRING TERM
SUMMER TERM
YEAR 7 Exploring England
Map Skills
Planning a tour of England
Desert Environments
Water Supply

River Basins and Flooding
Background to Normandy

YEAR 8 People and Weather
Tropical Rainforest
Environment Project
The European Union
The Mediterranean Environment
Spain and Tourism
Brazil
YEAR 9 Population Change
Plate Tectonics

Crime and the Local Community
Sustainable Energy
Development and the Environment
Dams and Ecotourism
Weather and Climate

A variety of texts is used during the three year course. All girls should have their own atlas. The atlas used in School is the Oxford Student Atlas.

Course Content in Key Stage Four (GCSE level)

AUTUMN TERM
SPRING TERM
SUMMER TERM
YEAR 10 Population
Rocks and Landscape
Settlement

Coursework
Ecosystems

YEAR 11 Industry
Coasts
Managing resources and tourism (Revision)

Coursework is integrated from the Spring Term in Year 10 until Christmas of Year 11.

Our main text is Understanding GCSE Geography (For AQA Specification A) by Bowen and Pallister, published by Heinemann. We also recommend the companion revision guide and skills book.

Websites
http://www.aqa.org.uk/ AQA examination board: for specification information and access to past examination papers.
http://www.nelsonthornes.com/ Nelson Thornes for the online resources to which we subscribe. The resource for GCSE is called Geoactive. The user name is 6078 and the password is "welcome".
Other websites will be recommended at appropriate points during the course.

A-level Geography

For information about Geography at A-level, please click here.

Fieldwork

In Key Stage 3 we carry out some fieldwork within the School site.
In Key Stage 4, as well as the fieldwork chosen by each student to support their coursework, we have a day’s fieldwork during the summer term of Year 10.

Why Study Geography?

Increases locational knowledge and shows how places are interconnected
Makes connections between natural, economic, social, political and technological systems
Develops knowledge and understanding of current events
Explains physical and human geographical patterns
Enables well-informed judgements about environments and supports an understanding of sustainable development
Develops the skills of visual literacy, interpreting maps, diagrams, aerial photographs and satellite images
Provides opportunities through fieldwork for first hand investigation of places, environments and human behaviour
Addresses the complexity of human and physical environments
Provides a meaningful context for developing transferable skills - literacy, numeracy, ICT, problem solving, team work, thinking skills and enquiry
Empowers young people to become active global citizens
Gives purpose for using new technologies such as Geographic Information Systems Stimulates an interest in, and a wonder of, the world around us and gives young people a desire to explore and enables them to travel confidently


For information about Geography at A-level, please click here.

top of page

School Achievement Awards Scheme
.The Specialist Schools Trust Science Colleges Language Colleges