Subject Overview

Geography is a wide-ranging subject which acknowledges the interaction between people and the natural world. It should not be thought of as either a science or an art because it contains elements of both in order to fully explain the world. The study of geography will enable any student to understand the changing world around them.

Skills

Throughout your study you will develop a wide variety of useful skills such as:

• Problem solving, e.g. planning and management issues.
• Data collection, analysis and presentation.
• Using geographical instruments.
• Social skills - fieldwork in groups and using questionnaires.
  

What are the advantages of studying Geography?

Geographers are taught a wide ranging combination of skills drawing in ideas from many sources. This ability to view issues from a wider perspective is appropriate for working in many different areas. The nature of peoples’ working lives is changing. It is less likely that someone will spend all their life in one company or organization. If your career path is to be varied, you will need to develop transferable skills and you will need to be flexible. Geography fosters these qualities.

There are useful displays in the Geography classrooms on careers with geography and choosing it for GCSE and anyone in the Geography department would be happy to expand on this further or answer any queries you may have, just ask.

“Without Geography, you’re nowhere” - Michael Palin

Key Stage 3 Overview (Years 7-9)

Key Stage 4 Overview (Years 10-11)

AQA GCSE (9-1) in Geography
The GCSE Geography course enables students to deepen their understanding of the physical and human processes that affect our planet.

The course has three exams in the summer of the second year. They are as follows:

Unit 1: Living with the Physical Environment
• Challenges of natural hazards – tectonic & weather hazards
• The Living World – tropical rainforests & hot deserts
• Physical landscapes in the UK – coasts & rivers

Unit 2: The Human Environment
• Urban issues and challenges – slums, urban growth, regeneration & sustainable living
• Changing economic world – the development gap, TNCs and the North/South divide
• Challenge of resource management – water

Unit 3: Geographical Applications
• Issue evaluation – based on a pre-release booklet issues 12 weeks in advance
• Fieldwork – based on both human and physical data collection

GCSE Geography is assessed in the following way: