Geography
Welcome to the Geography page.
Below you will find information on the course with a link to the Course Curriculum.
To view the Course Curriculum, please click here
Year 12
Content is taught as per the specification, beginning with Tectonic Hazards, building on a foundation of knowledge from GCSE. As a centre we have chosen to teach Coasts instead of Glaciation, as it a good stepping stone from GCSE to A Level and it focuses on the human interaction with the environment. The coastal studies are more global as can be applied on a much greater scale than glaciation.
Paper 2, focused on human geography, begins with the study of Globalisation; featuring contempory examples and examining the complexities of an interdependent world. Secondly, students study regenerating places (instead of diverse places) as it again follows on clearly from the GCSE and the investigation they undertake in an urban environment. It looks at how places vary economically and socially with change driven by local, national and global processes. Students focus on learning about the place in which they live, or study then put this in context to understand how changes have occurred there.
Autumn |
Paper 1- Tectonic Hazards, Coastal processes Paper 2- Globalisation, Shaping Places (Regeneration and rebranding) |
Spring |
Coastal processes Shaping Places (Regeneration and rebranding) |
Summer |
Water Cycle Begin NEA Superpowers |
Year 13
Paper 2 has a choice aspect of Health, Human Rights and Intervention (or Migration, identify and Sovereignty). Originally, we chose this option as the legacy A Level we had taught Health for Unit 4 and therefore teaching staff had access to a range of resources and books in the Library for students. In addition to this it is linked clearly to Politics, another area of strength within the department. This unit has now proven to be delivered very successfully and students say it develops their understanding of measures of development and human welfare.
Capitalising on their learning throughout Year 12, in Year 13 students complete a five day residential stay at a field studies centre. The students complete a programme of contrasting fieldwork investigations and techniques in all aspects from primary data, gathering and response framework design, to ArcGIS and statistical testing techniques. Having completed this, students choose, with strong support from the study centre and teaching staff, a title of their design. They then investigate their title using the skills they have learnt. Write up begins to be completed on the trip and is completed with guidance back in school. This study forms 20% of the A Level and feedback from the exam board has always been very complementary in the outcomes the students produce.
Autumn |
Paper 1- Water Cycle, Carbon Cycle NEA Research and Write Up Paper 2- Superpowers, Health and Human Rights |
Spring |
Carbon Cycle NEA hand in prior to February Half Term Health and Human Rights |
Summer |
Paper 3 Revision |