Geography

Aims and Philosophy

To gain an understanding of place through learning about the UK and other countries.
To encourage the development of geographical skills.
To appreciate that the quality of life varies at the local, national and international scales and to understand the implications of this variation.
To help pupils gain confidence in researching topics and issues independently and communicating ideas to others.
To stimulate pupils' interest in both the human and physical environment and to foster an understanding of their role and responsibilities within that environment.

Course content

Years 7, 8 and 9 (Key Stage 3 - through out the first three years the schemes of work are based on the key themes of the National Curriculum. Additional material is introduced to make use of staff expertise and local fieldwork opportunities.

Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4) - those students that have opted to carry on with Geography are currently studying the AQA A (4030) Specification which was introduced in September 2009. Units taught include, 'Rocks, Resources and Scenery', 'Glaciation' and 'Population'. There is one piece of coursework required which comes under the heading of 'Controlled Assessment' and which will be based on teacher lead fieldwork.

In the Sixth Form the Department is currently delivering OCR's AS (H083) and A2 (H483) Specification. At AS the students study two 'Units', 'Managing Physical Environments' (F761) and 'Managing Change in Human Environments' (F762). At A level two further units are studied 'Global Issues' (F763' and 'Geographical Skills' (F764). In addition the department has started to deliver its aspect of the International Baccalaureate (IB) with its 'Core' and 'Option' themes. It is hoped to continue running a residential course in Dorset as part of the coastal studies. An additional charge is levied for this to cover the cost of accommodation and as a contribution to the cost of transport.

Resources

Geography is a resource-based subject and the department's stock is both varied and expanding. Pupils are encouraged to use a variety of resources especially as part of independent enquiry work. Where the opportunity arises, the department is keen to encourage the use of ICT in its teaching.